Maggie Musings & More

12 Things in 2012

2012-01-06T06:53:00.006-05:00

Happy New Year! I hope you had wonderful holidays and are enjoying a great start to 2012.

Exactly one year ago I wrote about 11 things I was excited for in 2011. That list included my sister's wedding, finding the perfect spaghetti-and-meatballs recipe, spending a few days lakeside with my family, returning to a favorite vacation spot with my husband, and submitting a brand-new middle-grade project to editors. And I was right to be excited! Here's why:

This last photo is of the wonderful team at Aladdin/Simon & Schuster, who will be publishing said brand-new middle-grade project, Merits of Mischief, this spring. (You'll notice I didn't include a picture of spaghetti and meatballs. That's because my husband and I, voluntarily and happily, stopped eating meat last February, before I found the perfect recipe.)

Needless to say, it was a great year—and I think it paved the way for an even better one! So in no particular order, here are 12 Things I'm Excited For in 2012.

1. The release of Merits of Mischief, The Bad Apple.

2. Continuing with yoga classes, which I started over the summer, and hopefully, eventually being able to do both headstand and handstand.

3. The release of Dark Water, the final book in the Siren trilogy.

4. Returning to my husband's and my favorite vacation spot.

5. Attending ABA Winter Institute 7 in New Orleans as my alter ego, T.R. Burns, later this month. I've never been to Winter Institute OR New Orleans, so this is doubly exciting!

6. Making countless loaves of yummy bread with the amazing breadmaker Santa brought me.

7. Revising Merits of Mischief 2 and writing Merits of Mischief 3.

8. Maybe spending a few days in the Green Mountains with the fam.

9. Trying new vegetarian/vegan recipes.

10. Brainstorming new YA projects.

11. Experimenting with photography beyond my current point-and-shoot capabilities.

12. Discovering new authors and reading as much as possible.

How about you? What are you most looking forward to over the next 12 months? And do you have any book or veggie recipe recommendations? If so, I'd love to hear them!

Best wishes for a happy, healthy year!

Mailbox Mischief!

2011-10-11T16:30:00.005-04:00

Finding a fat yellow envelope in your mailbox is always fun...but it's a million times better when that envelope's filled with advance copies of Merits of Mischief!

So exciting!

Presenting...Merits of Mischief!

2011-10-01T07:45:00.003-04:00

A single red apple. A fallen substitute teacher. A secret school nestled deep in the mountains.

And Seamus Hinkle, a great kid and natural, accidental...Troublemaker.

For regular blog visitors, this is the first book of my new middle-grade series—or the project formerly known as Troublemakers. I think the new title suits the cover, which I absolutely LOVE, perfectly!

For a behind-the-scenes look at how the cover came to be, as well as some earlier versions, check out this post by the super talented artist, Gilbert Ford. http://gilbertford.com/news/?p=1175

I've been so excited to share this, and I hope you like it as much as I do!

A Sad Sight

2011-08-18T06:47:00.006-04:00

Shortly after news broke that Borders was closing all locations, I paid a visit to my local store. I wanted to check out some books and pick up a few magazines, just like I've done countless times over the years. From pictures of other locations online I expected to see big yellow signs announcing impending doom and many empty shelves, and I braced myself accordingly.

But I didn't expect this:

Or this:

I'd planned to get an iced coffee on my way out, just like I've done countless times over the years. But the cafe was closed. Empty. I hadn't looked that way when I entered the store so literally stopped short when I saw the space and realized that if I was going to have iced coffee that afternoon, I'd have to get it elsewhere.

For some reason, this hit me harder than the yellow signs and barren shelves. I spent a LOT of time in that cafe. I worked on every single one of my books there, sometimes several hours a day, several days a week. I wrote more pages of Siren by those windows than anywhere else. I enjoyed the atmosphere and, depending on the time of day and year, the company of students and knitters, retirees and families, writers and readers.

Borders wasn't just a bookstore. It was a gathering place. A community. And I miss it already.

Undercurrent Release Day, and the Entire 1st Chapter!

2011-07-12T06:55:00.005-04:00

It's a muggy gray morning here, the kind that usually means storms are coming—which is bad for our nervous shih tzu but perfect for Undercurrent's release day!

I had such fun spending more time with Vanessa, Simon, Paige and Caleb, and I'm so excited for you to find out what happens when Vanessa returns to Boston for her senior year of high school. To get you started, the entire first chapter is below. I hope you enjoy, and THANK YOU for reading!!

It was September first. The day my older sister Justine should have been starting classes. Buying textbooks. Thinking about her future. The day she should have been doing all the things freshmen do but wasn’t, because her future had been decided the second she jumped off a cliff in the middle of the night three months earlier.

On this day, I walked a college campus instead.

“That’s Parker Hall,” my tour guide said. “And there’s Hathorn Hall and the chapel.”

I smiled politely and followed him through the main quad. The pretty, parklike square was surrounded by redbrick buildings and filled with kids talking, laughing, and comparing schedules.

“That’s Coram Library,” he continued, pointing. “And right behind it is Ladd Library, the one-hundred-twelve-thousand-square-foot Mecca of learning.”

“Impressive,” I said, thinking the same thing about him. His brown eyes were warm, his dark hair slightly messy, like he’d fallen asleep on an open textbook before meeting me. His toned arms shone bronze against the sharp white of his crew team T-shirt. If Bates strived to appeal to teenage girls’ romantic aspirations in addition to their academic ones, they’d picked a good representative.

“And comfortable. Trust me, I should know.” He stopped, took my sweatshirt sleeve in one hand, and tugged. As I stepped toward him, a Frisbee sliced through the empty air space my head had just occupied.

“I do,” I said.

We stood so close I could hear his quick intake of breath. His fingers tightened on my sweatshirt, and his arm tensed. After a few seconds, he released me and grabbed the backpack straps near his shoulders.

“What’s that?” I asked.

He followed my nod to a tall building next to the libraries. “That is the deciding factor,” he said, starting down the sidewalk. When he reached the building’s front steps, he turned toward me and grinned. “Behold Carnegie Science Hall.”

I covered my chest with one hand. “The Carnegie Science Hall? Where some of the world’s most brilliant, forward-thinking scientists conduct groundbreaking research that continues to shape the landscape of modern science as we know it today?”

He paused. “Yes?”

“Hang on. I have to get a picture.”

“If you’re familiar with the building,” he said as I rummaged through my purse for my digital camera, “then you know the work it houses sets this college apart from the rest. Even if you’re not a science major,

I think that alone warrants the hefty two-hundred-thousand-dollar price tag.”

Vox clamantis in deserto.

I stared at the digital camera screen and my mind filled with images of green key chains. Coffee mugs. A sweatshirt and an umbrella. All bearing the familiar Dartmouth shield.

“Vanessa?”

“Sorry.” I shook my head once and held up the camera. “Say lobster.”

He started to speak but then stopped. His eyes lifted and landed somewhere behind me. Before I could look to see what had caught his attention, there was a tap on my shoulder.

“That’s all wrong,” a guy said when I turned around. He looked about my age, maybe a year or two older, and was flanked by two other guys who smiled when I glanced at them. He wore cargo pants, a fleece, and hiking boots, like he planned to hit the trails as soon as he was done with classes.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean it’s a fine shot . . . but it’d be better if you were in it.” He held out one hand, palm up. “May I?”

“Oh.” My eyes fell to the camera. “Thanks, but—”

“Mitosis,” my tour guide said.

The hiker looked up, toward the steps behind me.

“I just remembered that there’s an excellent photography exhibit of cellular mitosis inside. It’s best seen right about now, in the late morning. We should get going before the light changes.”

“Right.” The hiker nodded. “You know, you’d probably recruit thousands more students each year if you included her in the school’s promotional materials.”

“I’ll be sure to pass that along to Admissions.”

The hiker gave me one more appreciative look before leaving. I waited for him and his friends to walk away and round the corner, out of sight, before turning back. My tour guide stood on the same step, hands in his pockets, his face tight with . . . what? Nervousness? Jealousy?

“Is there really an excellent photography exhibit of cellular mitosis inside?” I asked.

“If there is, it wouldn’t be on the tour. We don’t want to bore kids into not applying.”

I held up the camera.

“Lobster,” he said.

I took his picture and put the camera back in my purse. “So, I realize the Carnegie Science Building sets your college worlds apart from others, but there’s still one other thing I’d like to see before making any decisions.”

“The gym? Theater? Art museum?”

“The dorms.”

My pulse quickened as he looked down. Thinking I’d made him uncomfortable, I prepared to offer an alternative—like someplace off campus, where there were fewer people, fewer distractions. But then he started down the steps and turned right, back the way we came.

“Just wait till you see the concrete walls and linoleum floors,” he said. “You might never go home again.”

We didn’t talk as we walked through the quad. Every now and then he greeted friends or classmates, but I stayed quiet. My head spun with thoughts of Justine, last summer, this fall, and I didn’t know which thought would come out if I tried to speak. The spinning continued all the way across campus, into a tall brick building, and up four flights of stairs.

Fortunately, the silence wasn’t awkward. It never was.

“I should warn you,” he said when we stopped in front of a closed door. “The décor leaves something to be desired. That’s what happens when you throw two bio majors together in one small space. Or any space, for that matter.”

“Is your roommate . . . ?”

“Out. At a four-hour seminar that won’t end for another three and a half hours.”

My heart lifted, and my stomach turned. The mixed feelings must’ve been clear on my face because he stepped toward me, instantly concerned.

“Well,” I said, relieved when my voice was calm, even, “if that’s the case, we should probably get on with the tour.”

This seemed to reassure him. He smiled as he took his keys from the pocket of the jeans and unlocked the door. Once inside, he leaned against the closed door with his arms folded behind his back and surveyed the room. “Interesting,” he said.

“What is?” I asked.

“The décor.”

I looked around. It was a typical dorm room with two beds, desks, dressers, and bookshelves. One side was messier than the other, and I assumed that side belonged to his roommate, who probably wasn’t expecting company. The only accessories were a blue area rug, the college banner . . . and a framed photo of a girl in a red rowboat.

“I knew something was missing,” he continued gently, “and I’d had a pretty good idea of what that something was. But now I know for sure.”

My eyes found his and stayed there. He didn’t move as I came closer. He was

waiting to make sure that whatever happened next happened because I wanted it to. It had been two months and that hadn’t changed. In two years—in two decades—it still wouldn’t.

I stood as close as I could without our bodies touching. I smelled the soap on his skin and saw his chest rise and immediately fall. His jaw clenched, and his broad shoulders squared as he leaned harder against the door, locking his arms in place.

“Vanessa . . .”

“It’s okay,” I whispered, tilting forward. “I’m okay.”

My lips had barely grazed his cheek when his hands were on my hips. He pulled me to him, closing the remaining distance between us. His hands moved from my waist to my neck and then lingered there, cradling my face like it was made of glass. His eyes held mine once more, just long enough for me to feel their warmth, before lowering his mouth to mine.

The spinning stopped. My head cleared. There was just this, us, him.

Simon. My Simon.

The kiss started slowly, sweetly, as if our lips were getting to know each other again after a long

separation. But soon they pressed harder, moved faster. I grabbed the front of his sweatshirt with both hands and held on as his mouth moved across my cheek, over my ear, down my neck. He paused only once, when he ran out of bare skin. Not wanting him to stop, I released his sweatshirt and pulled mine up and over my head. By the time I dropped it to the floor, his was already there.

He rested his forehead on my shoulder and his palms moved slowly down my back and over my jeans. We kissed all the way to the bed, until he was lying down with me on top of him, my legs hugging the sides of his waist.

“We can stop,” Simon said softly when I pulled back. “If you’re at all nervous or unsure . . .”

I smiled. If I was ever nervous or unsure around Simon, it wasn’t because I was afraid of being too close to him.

It was because I was afraid of not being close enough.

“I missed you,” I said.

“Vanessa . . . you have no idea.”

Except that I did. I knew it every time he looked at me, every time he said my name, every time he held my hand or kissed me. He’d said it only once, but reminders weren’t necessary.

I knew Simon loved me.

Unfortunately, I also knew why.

He opened his mouth to say something else, but I kissed him first. I kissed him until he seemed to forget whatever he was going to say, and until I pushed the familiar nagging thought far enough aside that I could focus on him, on us, together in this moment.

Because this moment would end. It had to. Sometimes I was so caught up, so happy, I let myself pretend it

didn’t . . . but reminders were never far off.

Like when we lay together later, our legs entwined, my head on his chest. While Simon’s fingers twirled absently through my hair, I stared at the picture of the girl in the rowboat on the dresser next to the bed and counted the steady, relaxed beats of his heart.

“Be right back,” I whispered.

I gathered the sheet around me, stood, and forced my feet to walk to the closet. After switching the sheet for Simon’s robe and taking a towel from the shelf, I retrieved my purse from the floor and left the room.

In the hallway, I ran. I’d noted the bathroom on our way up and found it easily. Ignoring the curious looks of kids passing by, I flung open the door and flew inside.

Each shower had two parts: the actual stall and a small area to change and dry off. I dashed into the last shower and yanked the vinyl curtain closed. I dropped my purse three times before my shaking hands got a good enough grip to hold it open and grab the container inside. Once they did, I dropped the purse and Simon’s robe to the tile floor and stepped into the stall.

My chest and skin were on fire. I couldn’t feel my legs. It took every bit of strength I had left to turn on the water and pry the lid off the plastic container.

I tilted my head toward the shower nozzle so water streamed down my face. I opened my mouth and brought the container to my lips, coughing as the water and powder shot down my throat.

But then, finally, relief. It came little by little, with every swallow. Slowly, the invisible flames on my skin extinguished and the burning in my chest subsided. Feeling stronger, I took handfuls of salt and spread them across my body. The tiny granules scratched then soothed as they mixed with the water.

It’s just body wash, I told myself, that exfoliates, like at a spa.

As soon as I could feel my legs again, they folded beneath me. I sank to the floor and brought my knees to my chest. Cold water flowed from my head to my toes, washing away the warmer liquid that seeped from my closed eyes.

Justine had always said the best way to deal with your fear of the dark was to pretend it was really light. It was a theory she’d applied to countless situations when we were growing up—and for better or worse, it was one I still relied on whenever I found myself too scared to think straight.

Which was why in a few minutes, I’d stand up, dry off, and walk down the hall. I’d climb back into bed and curl up next to Simon. And when he kissed me and asked if I was okay, I’d assure him I’d never been better.

Because when it came to telling Simon the truth, I’d never been more scared in my life.

Scenic Inspiration, part 2

2011-07-05T06:41:00.003-04:00

When I posted vacation pictures a few months ago, I mentioned how inspiring it can be, both generally and creatively, to spend a little QT with Mother Nature. This has never been truer than when MN and I have hung out lakeside, because those experiences helped inspire Siren's—and Undercurrent's!—setting.

Siren takes place in Winter Harbor, Maine. If you've read any of the blog interviews I've done, you know that I chose Maine for its dramatic coastline and Winter Harbor because its namesake harbor never freezes, not even in the middle of winter. I thought that'd be very appealing to migrating, water-loving ladies. I haven't had the pleasure of visiting Winter Harbor in person, but I have spent a lot of time in New England, and whenever I imagined the small seaside town—specifically the Sands' vacation house—I always pictured one place in particular.

That place is in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire. Many years ago my family and I rented the same tiny cabin for one week each summer. We returned this year after a lengthy hiatus, and I made sure to get some shots of the spot that inspired Siren's setting. I was very happy that the red boat I imagined Vanessa and Justine drifting along in was still there—though in real life it's a canoe!

I hope you enjoy. And be sure to check back for the rest of Undercurrent's first chapter, which I'll post before its official release ONE WEEK from today!

Undercurrent Excerpt, part 2!

2011-06-30T06:39:00.004-04:00

Undercurrent hits shelves in less than two weeks! The next two pages of the first chapter are below. I hope you enjoy!

“The gym? Theater? Art museum?”

“The dorms.”

“Just wait till you see the concrete walls and linoleum floors,” he said. “You might never go home again.”

Fortunately, the silence wasn’t awkward. It never was.

“Is your roommate . . . ?”

“Out. At a four-hour seminar that won’t end for another three and a half hours.”

My heart lifted, and my stomach turned. The mixed feelings must’ve been clear on my face because he stepped toward me, instantly concerned.

“Well,” I said, relieved when my voice was calm, even, “if that’s the case, we should probably get on with the tour.”

“What is?” I asked.

“The décor.”

“I knew something was missing,” he continued gently, “and I’d had a pretty good idea of what that something was. But now I know for sure.”

My eyes found his and stayed there. He didn’t move as I came closer. He was waiting to make sure that whatever happened next happened because I wanted it to. It had been two months and that hadn’t changed. In two years—in two decades—it still wouldn’t.

“Vanessa . . .”

“It’s okay,” I whispered, tilting forward. “I’m okay.”

The spinning stopped. My head cleared. There was just this, us, him.

Simon. My Simon.

The Final Countdown Begins...with an Excerpt!

2011-06-19T07:55:00.005-04:00

First, thank you SO much to everyone who stopped by and said hi at BEA last month. I had such a great time and hope you all did, too!

In addition to making my day, those who visited at BEA also picked up a copy of Undercurrent. And with its official release only weeks away (July 12!), I wanted to share a sneak peek with everyone else. The first two pages are below, and I'll post more soon.

I hope you enjoy!

It was September first. The day my older sister Justine should have been starting classes. Buying textbooks. Thinking about her future. The day she should have been doing all the things freshmen do but wasn’t, because her future had been decided the second she jumped off a cliff in the middle of the night three months earlier.

On this day, I walked a college campus instead.

“That’s Parker Hall,” my tour guide said. “And there’s Hathorn Hall and the chapel.”

I smiled politely and followed him through the main quad. The pretty, parklike square was surrounded by redbrick buildings and filled with kids talking, laughing, and comparing schedules.

“That’s Coram Library,” he continued, pointing. “And right behind it is Ladd Library, the one-hundred-twelve-thousand-square-foot Mecca of learning.”

“Impressive,” I said, thinking the same thing about him. His brown eyes were warm, his dark hair slightly messy, like he’d fallen asleep on an open textbook before meeting me. His toned arms shone bronze against the sharp white of his crew team T-shirt. If Bates strived to appeal to teenage girls’ romantic aspirations in addition to their academic ones, they’d picked a good representative.

“And comfortable. Trust me, I should know.” He stopped, took my sweatshirt sleeve in one hand, and tugged. As I stepped toward him, a Frisbee sliced through the empty air space my head had just occupied.

“I do,” I said.

We stood so close I could hear his quick intake of breath. His fingers tightened on my sweatshirt, and his arm tensed. After a few seconds, he released me and grabbed the backpack straps near his shoulders.

“What’s that?” I asked.

He followed my nod to a tall building next to the libraries. “That is the deciding factor,” he said, starting down the sidewalk. When he reached the building’s front steps, he turned toward me and grinned. “Behold Carnegie Science Hall.”

I covered my chest with one hand. “The Carnegie Science Hall? Where some of the world’s most brilliant, forward-thinking scientists conduct groundbreaking research that continues to shape the landscape of modern science as we know it today?”

He paused. “Yes?”

“Hang on. I have to get a picture.”

“If you’re familiar with the building,” he said as I rummaged through my purse for my digital camera, “then you know the work it houses sets this college apart from the rest. Even if you’re not a science major, I think that alone warrants the hefty two-hundred-thousand-dollar price tag.”

Vox clamantis in deserto.

I stared at the digital camera screen and my mind filled with images of green key chains. Coffee mugs. A sweatshirt and an umbrella. All bearing the familiar Dartmouth shield.

“Vanessa?”

“Sorry.” I shook my head once and held up the camera. “Say lobster.”

Winners!

2011-05-17T06:50:00.002-04:00

Congratulations, Siren contest winners Alana B. and Taylor Z.! Like many of us, Alana fears falling and Taylor's not a fan of being alone in the dark. Maybe reading about Vanessa's fight to stay brave in Undercurrent will help...or at the very least, provide some pleasant distraction!

Thank you again to everyone who participated. I read every entry and truly appreciate your willingness to share!

On another note, I'll be signing advance copies of Undercurrent at BEA next Wednesday at 10 a.m.. If you're around, please stop by and say hello! I'd love to meet you!

Last Day to Enter!

2011-05-10T07:24:00.003-04:00

It's May 10th, and that means two things: Siren's out in paperback and the celebratory contest is coming to a close! If you haven't entered yet, please do by the end of the day.

A huge thank you to those who've shared their fears so far! I've loved reading your entries!

Contest! Win Books!

2011-05-03T07:40:00.003-04:00

Siren, with its pretty, brand-new cover, comes out in paperback one week from today! To celebrate, I'm hosting a contest. To enter, all you have to do is email triciarayburn AT gmail DOT com, put "Siren Contest" in the subject line, and answer one very simple question:

What are you afraid of?

Vanessa, as you may know, is afraid of many things. The dark, flying, water, heights...herself. So I want to know what makes YOU look over your shoulder, what gets YOUR heart racing. If you've tried to conquer the fear, I'd love to know that, too—and whether you've been successful.

The deadline to enter is Tuesday, May 10, and winners will be announced by Friday, May 13. Two winners will be chosen. The prize? A signed copy of Siren in paperback, OR a signed advance copy of Undercurrent. Your choice.

I look forward to hearing from you!

News!

2011-04-25T16:15:00.007-04:00

If you've stopped by my blog recently you might recall me mentioning the fun, new middle-grade project I've been working on. Well, I'm SO happy to report that that fun little project will soon be a real series!

Here's the Publishers Weekly announcement:

Mara Anastas and Liesa Abrams of Aladdin Books at Simon & Schuster have bought North American rights to a new middle-grade series from Tricia Rayburn, writing as T.R. Burns, titled Troublemakers, which Abrams will edit. In Troublemakers, 12-year-old Seamus Hinkle, who has a perfect school record until an unfortunate incident involving an apple, is shipped off to a detention facility—only to discover that Kantor Academy is actually a school to mold future Troublemakers. The first book in the series will be published in hardcover in summer 2012; Rebecca Sherman of Writers House negotiated the three-book deal in a pre-empt.

I look forward to sharing much more about Seamus and Kantor Academy over the upcoming months!

Whew!

2011-04-15T07:05:00.003-04:00

I'm finally, happily emerging from my writing cave, where I've been working on Siren 3 (official title TBD), to update you on a few fun things.

First, I received advance copies of Undercurrent and paperback copies of Siren last week, and they are GORGEOUS. I'll be giving some away and posting contest details soon!

If you're a Long Island teen, be sure to check out Authors Unlimited, a full-day event featuring breakout sessions with several rock-star writers, like Rita Williams-Garcia, Robert Lipsyte, Tonya Hurley, Coe Booth, Daniel Ehrenhaft and more. I'll be there too and would love to see you! The fun's scheduled for Saturday, April 30. Go HERE for more information!

In other appearance news, I'll be signing Undercurrent at BEA on Wednesday, May 25 at 10 a.m. I had such a great time meeting so many readers, librarians, and bloggers last year, and would love to see you again—or for the first time!

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the final season of Friday Night Lights was just released on DVD. We watched the first episode last night and it kind of felt like going home again...even though I've only driven through the Texas panhandle and know nothing about football besides what Coach Taylor tells me. That's just how good this show is! If you haven't had the privilege of tuning in yet, do. You won't be disappointed.

Oh, one last thing: I wore flip-flips yesterday. For the first time in many long, cold months. Between that and FNL, it was a pretty epic 24 hours!

Hope your weekend is just as great!

Scenic Inspiration

2011-03-11T18:10:00.007-05:00

When it comes to getting the creative juices flowing, so many things can do the trick. A great book or news story, a conversation or dream, your own experience or someone else's. My stories have sparked from a variety of sources...but I find nothing inspires quite like quality time spent in a beautiful place.

Take this one, for example.

After a good hike through the Southwest I'm always ready to get back to work!

How about you? I'd love to hear how/where you find your creative inspiration!

Justine Magazine Book Video Contest

2011-02-18T07:21:00.003-05:00

I was so honored to learn that Siren's trailer made the top 5 in the paranormal romance category of Justine Magazine's Reel Book Video Awards contest. Visit their site to check out the other great nominees—and maybe cast a vote or two!

http://justinespark.com/reel_video_opener.htm

Covers!

2011-01-31T07:15:00.004-05:00

I'm so excited to be able to share both the Siren paperback and Undercurrent covers! You'll notice Siren has a brand-new look. This is because after much discussion about the sequel's cover with my agent and publisher, we agreed a new approach would be best. And since we want the books to look like they're part of the same trilogy, that meant the Siren paperback also needed a new approach.

I couldn't be happier with the results, and I hope you like them, too!

11 Things in 2011

2011-01-06T07:56:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year! I hope you had a wonderful holiday.

I'm not big on resolutions but there are a lot of great things happening this year and I definitely resolve to enjoy each and every one of them. To kick things off, here are, in no particular order, 11 Things I'm Excited For in 2011:

1. The paperback release of Siren (May) and hardcover release of Undercurrent (July).

2. My sister's wedding. (She just got engaged so a date and everything else is TBD, but I can't wait!)

3. The UK release of Siren (Jan. 20).

4. My niece starting kindergarten. (I'm already planning a trip to Costco for tissues!)

5. Sending a brand-new middle-grade project on submission.

6. Finding a recipe for spaghetti and meatballs that'll please my meatball-connoisseur husband. (You'd think this would be easy, but it's really not. I've already tried—and failed—once this year. All suggestions welcome!)

7. Taking a family trip to one of our favorite lakeside spots.

8. Writing Siren 3.

9. Finishing one of the other YA projects I have in the works and brainstorming new YA ideas.

10. Returning to my husband's and my favorite vacation spot. Maybe even twice!

11. Discovering new authors and reading amazing new stories.

And those are only the things I know are definitely happening. I can't wait to find out what else 2011 has in store!

Hope your new year's off to a fabulous start!

Gossip Worth Spreading!

2010-12-17T16:13:00.002-05:00

SIREN is "Gossip Girl" Jenny Humphrey's favorite book of 2010!

Check out her other faves here!
http://www.cwtv.com/thecw/gossip-girl-favorites

12 Days 'Till Christmas!

2010-12-13T16:23:00.004-05:00

It's December 13, and you know what that means: Christmas is twelve short days away! I've been counting down for about three months, but now that we're under the two-week mark, I think it's finally acceptable to post a few festive pictures.

Last month I was lucky enough to attend the ALAN conference in Orlando. It was a great time with some amazing readers and teachers from all over the country. My husband was able to come with me, so we headed down a few days early to hit Disney World. I hadn't been in over ten years and he hadn't been in twice as long—since before Epcot, which had always boggled my mind. I mean, can you imagine a world WITHOUT Epcot??

Anyway, we were excited to go, and even more excited when friends told us about Mickey's Merry Christmas Party. Apparently, this is an annual affair that takes place in the Magic Kingdom on select nights in November and December. This year, one of the nights just happened to be during our visit, so we bought tickets.

And it was probably the merriest Christmas party I've ever been to! There were decorations and carolers and fireworks and endless hot cocoa and sugar cookies. Cinderella's castle was covered in sparkling white lights. A parade featuring Mickey, Minnie, other characters, AND Santa wound through the quaint streets. And perhaps the best part? The park closed early to non-ticket holders, which meant no waiting on insane lines! We hit every ride in about a tenth the time it'd normally take.

Here are a few shots of the fun.

Hope you're enjoying your own pre-Christmas festivities!

Wednesday Words

2010-12-08T18:07:00.005-05:00

I hope to share the Undercurrent cover with you soon, but until then, here's a mini excerpt from chapter 1!

My chest and skin were on fire. I couldn’t feel my legs. It took every bit of strength I had left to turn on the water and pry the lid off the plastic container.

And just because pictures are fun, here's how the sequel will look in Germany:

I think it's as gorgeous as the first and hope my German readers like it, too!

More to come!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-25T07:31:00.002-05:00

A quick post just to say how grateful I am to each and every one of you! Thank you for visiting here, reading my stories, and inspiring me to write more. You're the best. :)

I hope you have a wonderful day with friends, family, and lots of yummy food!

News & Updates

2010-11-14T08:54:00.003-05:00

So sorry for the recent blog silence! I've been busy talking books, preparing talks for talking books, revising a new project, revising a new project some more...and online Christmas shopping. :) But some fun things have been happening! Following are a few highlights.

Getting the mail has been especially enjoyable lately. In the past few weeks I've received an ARC of the UK version of Siren, audio CDs of Siren, and contracts from Siren's Macedonia publisher. And yesterday five copies of the Scholastic Book Club edition of Ruby's Slippers arrived, which was SO exciting! On these great mail days, I don't even mind getting bills.

So, yes, Ruby's Slippers is in the SBC this month. New readers of my blog might not know that twenty years ago, I spent hours and hours and hours poring over the SBC flyer every month, so this is a huge honor. Accompanying the great news is a great review from Publisher's Weekly. They said: "Rayburn's (the Maggie Bean series) story is a fun romp over the rainbow with a plucky and entertaining heroine." Yay!

Coincidentally, Ruby's Slippers is dedicated to my cousin Lauren, who recently invited me to speak to her Girl Scouts troop about books and writing. And after my visit with the Scouts, I wanted to become one! They were great. Most of them had read the book, and they asked amazing, non-stop questions for two hours. Loved them!

I also had the pleasure of speaking to the Children's Librarian Association of Suffolk County last week, which was wonderful. I'm definitely more comfortable behind a computer than I am in front of large groups, but these librarians couldn't have been more welcoming. They even had Kit Kats on every table AND a chocolate fountain in honor of Maggie Bean!

In other public speaking news, I'll be talking about How I Spent My Summer Vacation at the ALAN conference in Orlando on Nov. 22. If you're attending, I'd love to see you there!

While in Orlando I plan to swing by Disney World and possibly Universal. I haven't been to either in many, many years, so I'm very much looking forward to it. With limited time, though, I'm not quite sure what needs to be hit and what can be skipped. If anyone has tips or suggestions, I'd love to hear them!

And finally, the Christmas tree might be going up in our house today. Too soon? I think not. :)

Have a great week!

A Few Things

2010-10-22T09:11:00.002-04:00

As we head into the weekend, I thought I'd share a few updates and random happenings.

First, some Siren announcements. I've posted elsewhere but not here that the sequel has an official title: Undercurrent. This was chosen after much discussion with Egmont, my agent, and her assistant; in the end, we all agreed that a powerful, beneath-the-surface force best suggested Vanessa's struggles upon her return to Boston for her senior year of high school. I love the title and hope readers do, too!

In other Siren news, the German edition, Im Zauber der Sirenen, has been released. So hello, new German readers! I hope you enjoy. Also, the audio version is now available for purchase.

On a completely unrelated topic, thanks to dropping temperatures and the upcoming holiday, I've been in the mood for some spooky TV specials lately. There weren't many choices until this week, when my husband and I came upon a two-part, four-hour documentary about the making of Nightmare on Elm Street. When this movie first came out manymanymany years ago, my mother refused to let me see it, and after watching the documentary, I understand why. Twenty-five years later, I'd probably still be traumatized and unable to sleep through the night! But it was definitely interesting to hear how it was made and became such a pop-culture phenomenon. And next week there's going to be another documentary about the making of Friday the 13th, which I also haven't seen. Despite that, I'm already looking forward to the behind-the-scenes scoop!

Speaking of dropping temperatures, I'm in full-on fall mode now. I've packed up the flip-flops, busted out the socks and slippers, and already gone through two pumpkin-scented candles—the big kind, with, like, 100-hour burn times each. And last night, I made butternut squash soup for the first time ever, and it was DELISH! In case you couldn't tell, I'm all about the orange-colored squash this time of year.

Finally, I was at my mom's house this week and invaded her massive stash of Christmas music. I can now listen to the holiday hits of Harry Connick Jr., Mariah Carey, Frank Sinatra, and the Smashing Pumpkins any time I want...which is pretty much all the time! In a few more weeks, I'll be ready for documentaries about the making of Miracle on 34th Street and A Christmas Story and even Prancer. Especially since I've actually seen all of those!

Have a great weekend!

The Mental Progression of a Work-in-Progress

2010-10-18T08:37:00.003-04:00

Yesterday afternoon, I sent my latest project to my agent and her assistant for review. This was accompanied by lots of excitement...and a huge sigh of relief. While writing any new book I always wonder a few times if I'll ever reach The End, and this one was no different!

The rest of the thought process usually goes something like this:

-A new idea! It's great. I love it. Can't wait to get started.

-Have started! Words are coming so fast my fingers struggle to keep up!

-First chapter done. Could be the best one I've ever written!

-Chapters 2-5 also done. Love this story, love these characters, love what happens next!

-Um...what happens next?

-Thinking, plotting, thinking, plotting.

-Three more chapters done. Took longer than the first bunch, but that's okay.

-Long pause.

-Outlining will help.

-Another new idea! It's great. I love it. Maybe THIS is the one I should focus on.

-But I've already written 100 pages of the other idea. Shouldn't I see it through?

-Should go with inspiration when it strikes. Brainstorming New Idea #2.

-Can't stop thinking about New Idea #1.

-Back to first new idea. Words flowing once again.

-Oh! But what if, in the OTHER story, I—

-Nope. Must focus.

-Focusing. Writer blinders on.

-Two chapters to go! Almost there!

-Oops. Underestimated. THREE chapters to go!

-First draft done!

-Big smile.

-Huge sigh.

How about you, fellow writers? Is your thought process generally the same for each book? Do you bounce around, or do you keep writer blinders on the whole time?

The Official SIREN Trailer!

2010-10-05T07:59:00.004-04:00

My wonderful publisher, Egmont USA, made this trailer for SIREN—and I absolutely LOVE it! I've watched it about a hundred times and still get chills. Hope you enjoy!

What I'm Listening to When I'm Not Listening to Christmas Music

2010-10-04T07:53:00.002-04:00

I've blogged before about how I need music to write, and how this music is usually mellow and/or instrumental so I'm not distracted by other people's lyrics. The Enya and Yanni Pandora stations receive lots of listening love from me, and that's why.

But when I'm in a really good groove, the way I am now, I'm not as easily distracted and other music may be added to the mix. In addition to "White Christmas" and "Little Drummer Boy," here are a few songs currently in rotation:

Rabbit Heart - Florence + The Machine
All to All - Broken Social Scene
I and Love and You - The Avett Brothers
Bushwick Blues - Delta Spirit
Elevator Love Letter - Stars
Ready to Start - Arcade Fire
California Stars - Billy Bragg and Wilco
White Table - Delta Spirit
The Only Exception - Paramore
Little Lion Man - Mumford & Sons
I Can See the Pines are Dancing - A.A. Bondy
Blinding - Florence + The Machine

Of these, the ones that get repeated the most are All to All, I and Love and You, California Stars, Little Lion Man, and I Can See the Pines are Dancing. They're are also good for driving at night with the windows down. :)

Do you need music to read or write? If so, do you stick with the same artists/songs, or do you switch it up?

Hope you had a great weekend!

Christmas Music: How Soon is Too Soon?

2010-09-27T08:04:00.003-04:00

Christmas festivities have always started pretty early at my house. Back in high school, my friends never believed me when I confessed to listening to Christmas music as early as October—until they came over and found "Christmas with the Beach Boys" in the tape player. This was completely my own doing as my mother, holiday fan though she is, always waited till November to bust out Bing Crosby and Co. And it seems the older I get, the earlier the festivities start.

Case in point: I'm listening to Tony Bennett's greatest Christmas hits as I type this blog post.

Also: I might've switched to the Peaceful Holidays station on Pandora last week. And stayed there.

September's super early, even for me, but I couldn't help but give in to the urge when it struck. Because Christmas music is warm and soothing, kind of like the cup of coffee and lit pumpkin-scented candle with which I'm also writing this blog post. I think it might even help keep me focused and increase my productivity—and if it does, then it can't be wrong, right? As the oh-so-wise Sheryl Crow claims, "If it makes you happy, it can't be that bad!"

How about you? Does Christmas music make you happy? If so, how early do you start listening? Any favorite artists or albums? (There are three months till the big day, after all...I could use some recommendations!) :)

Have a great day!

The Daily Beast Puts Siren on List of 10 Smart YA Books

2010-09-17T07:38:00.002-04:00

The Daily Beast posted a list of 10 Smart YA Books for readers who have finished the Hunger Games trilogy and are looking for more...and Siren came in at #3! Here's what they said:

3) Siren by Tricia Rayburn

Summer vacation takes a turn for the sinister in Tricia Rayburn’s Siren. After her sister dies in a cliff-diving accident during the annual family vacation to Winter Harbor, Maine, Vanessa learns that her sister was keeping secrets… secrets that might be connected to the string of mysterious, water-related deaths plaguing the town. Both the narrator and the sleepy seaside town are finely drawn, and Rayburn never strays far from the engrossing plot that updates the lore of a supernatural baddie that’s as old as The Odyssey.

For the complete list, go HERE!

German Siren Excerpt Now Available!

2010-09-15T17:41:00.003-04:00

I'm beyond thrilled that the Siren trilogy will be published in Germany. Ullstein, my amazing publisher, has posted an excerpt in advance of the 11/1/10 release date. If you have a second, check it out!

http://vorablesen.de/

Where I've Been & What I Found (at JFK!)

2010-09-13T09:47:00.006-04:00

There are two very good reasons why I haven't posted in a while: revision and vacation. I received my Siren 2 editorial letter two weeks before vacation and had to hunker down to avoid revising while ON vacation. Then, having successfully hunkered and avoided, I went on an internet hiatus in hopes of achieving rest-and-relaxation maximization. I'm happy to say that this, too, was successful, with one small exception. After all, I couldn't go nine whole days without reading Chris Harrison's "Bachelor Pad" blog.

But vacation was amazing! I recently blogged about how, in movies, the Southwest is to me what George Clooney is to others, and last week I toured some of my very favorite sets. Following is a small sample.

I don't know if it's just that the landscape is so different from the one I'm used to, but anytime I see all that earth under all that sky, I'm a happy girl.

Another reason to be happy? I found Siren in a JFK airport bookstore! Here's proof:

Anyway, that's what I've been up to! How about you?? I hope you're enjoying the first days of almost-fall!

What to Do, What to Do?

2010-08-25T16:25:00.002-04:00

When it rains, it pours. That's how I've been feeling about writing lately.

To elaborate. I'm in the process of revising Siren 2 (official title TBA soon, I hope!), and that's going well...but I keep getting distracted. There's the fun middle-grade project I've been working on and am very excited about, the YA contemporary I started a couple of months ago, the other YA contemporary I started last weekend and can't stop thinking about, the YA supernatural-ish idea I've been researching, and so on and so forth. Siren 2 is currently my main focus, and while revisions are almost done, I'm still having a hard time ignoring other WIPs. I'm usually a single-project kind of girl, diving into whatever idea I've committed to and putting mental blinders on to others until I've seen the first one through. That's how I've been most productive in the past. But does that mean that's how I'll always be most productive?

So I'm curious. What do you, my fellow readers and writers, do when you have many ideas and only so many hours? Do you work on a few at a time? Assign days? Divide days? Force yourself to stick with one at a time? I'd love your thoughts!

On-My-Mind Monday

2010-08-16T17:19:00.005-04:00

I'm about to dive into Siren 2 revisions, so before shifting into mono-focus, I thought I'd share a few things that have been occupying my non-writing thoughts lately.

First up: "Bachelor Pad." I'm not necessarily proud of it, but there's no denying the fact that I'm a "Bachelor"/"Bachelorette" fan. Although "fan" might not be the right word, considering how crazy the show drives me nearly every season. (Cases in point: Jason picking Melissa, then Molly, over Jillian, Jake picking Vienna, Brad picking no one, Frank realizing he still loved his ex after it was SO clear Ali was head-over-heels for him, etc.) I've watched almost every season, except for the first, when I didn't know what I was missing, and the Charlie season, when there must have been something else REALLY good on at the same time and we didn't have DVR. So I guess I'm more of a reluctant addict—I know it's not great for me, I know there are a million other more productive things I could be doing with that time...but I watch anyway. Because I can't NOT watch. But "Bachelor Pad?" I'm on the fence. Granted, only one episode has aired, but so far, I'm not hooked. Maybe there are too many of them, or maybe Tenley squealed too much for one episode, or maybe it was that nothing much happened besides an R-rated game of Twister. I'm not sure. Which means I should probably watch again tonight...you know, just to confirm that it's not worth spending two hours on every week.

Of course, if I didn't watch "Bachelor Pad" I'd have much more time to devote to my new BlackBerry Torch, which is oh-so pretty and shiny and entertaining. There's Word Mole, WiFi, and perhaps most exciting of all, a video camera! Which you can use to record videos that you can then post to YouTube—right from the phone! So watch out, Internet. A deluge of scintillating shih tzu performances may be headed your way.

I'd also have more time to watch old(ish) movies set in the Southwest. Thanks to Netflix, I've recently seen Tin Cup with Kevin Costner and Rene Russo, and Fools Rush In with Matthew Perry and Salma Hayek. Loved them both. The stories were great, but the settings were even better. For some reason, when it comes to movies, the desert is to me what George Clooney is to others.

Speaking of movies, is anyone else super excited for Going the Distance? I love Drew Barrymore, and Justin Long's growing on me. Plus, after the desert, San Franciso is my next favorite film setting. I think it's because I lived in SF for a year and still can't believe it every time I see the Golden Gate Bridge or Coit Tower or the Transamerica Pyramid on the big screen. It just seems so...far. And other-worldly. Kind of like my time there does.

On a completely unrelated note, my niece (and goddaughter!) turned four last week. FOUR. She was just born! We were just kissing her cute little nose in the hospital! I don't mean to sound like all of MY aunts, but come on. Let's slow it down a little. I won't be ready for kindergarten for, like, another four years.

What I am ready for? Fall. I don't want to hurry along summer for all those still on vacation, but fall is my FAVORITE. I love it so much I don't even mind trading flip-flops for socks and real shoes. And today, while driving through town, I noticed a few reddish-orange leaves mixed in with the green ones. They were so pretty I was tempted to whip out the Torch and take a picture.

But since I didn't, I'll leave you with this!

Hope you had a great weekend!

Siren Trailer

2010-08-10T07:42:00.004-04:00

Bob Fox, a good friend of mine who's also a super-talented animator/illustrator, made this for Siren. I love it—I think it totally captures the mood and tone of the story. I hope you like it, too!

And to learn more about Bob and his work, click HERE!

Hello, Australia & New Zealand!

2010-08-05T07:13:00.003-04:00

I just wanted to say a special hello to my new readers in Australia and New Zealand, where Penguin released Siren this week! I've yet to visit but have heard nothing but wonderful things about that part of the world, and I don't think it's a coincidence that every Australian I've met has been warm and friendly. (I regret to say I've never met a New Zealand native...but I hope to amend that someday!)

Penguin Australia has a great blog for their YA titles called Between the Lines, and Siren, with a link to an excerpt, is up today. To visit, click HERE! Be sure to check back later in the month for an interview with yours truly.

And new readers, I'd love to hear from you! If you have any questions or thoughts about Siren, or if you just want to say hi, please feel free to drop me a line at triciarayburn@gmail.com.

Have a great day!

Middlebury Magazine's Summer Reads

2010-08-04T14:51:00.002-04:00

While flipping through the latest issue of Middlebury Magazine yesterday, I was so surprised—and excited!—to see a great review of Siren! I took my very first creative writing class during one snowy J-term (January session) at Middlebury, so seeing one of my books featured in the pages of the alumni magazine was truly something else.

The review's below, but if you want to check out other summer reads by Midd alum, click HERE!

Siren
(Egmont)
By Tricia Rayburn ’00
Siren is a great read for the beach. In fact, this young-adult suspense thriller unfolds on the beaches and craggy cliffs of Winter Harbor, Maine, where nothing is what it seems—from a bizarre pattern of violent storms that hit only the tiny village to a rash of smiling corpses washed up on shore. The story is told by 17-year-old Vanessa, a beautiful, brainy, mouselike girl who is scared of everything. Still reeling from the suspicious death of her charismatic older sister, she gradually discovers her own temerity, along with a slew of eerie secrets, as she searches for answers in a town that’s coming unhinged. Intelligently written and fast paced, this is Rayburn’s first foray into young-adult fiction (she also wrote the tween-focused Maggie Bean series) and it’s a seamless transition. Nudging into the crowded field of supernatural page turners, Rayburn is very effective at tapping themes on the minds of her teen audience—including romance, loss, self-discovery, parental relationships, peer acceptance—and wrapping it all up in an edgy, irresistible narrative.

Around-the-Web Tour, Final Stretch!

2010-07-30T07:12:00.004-04:00

Thank you SO MUCH to the many wonderful book bloggers who have hosted me these past few weeks! Following are links for the final stretch:

7/30: Teens Read and Write

7/31: Steph the Bookworm

8/1: Fire and Ice

8/2: Hooked on YA Books

8/4: Lauren's Crammed Bookshelf

8/5: The Book Vixen

8/6: In Bed With Books

8/7: The Bookologist

Have a great weekend!

Siren in the News!

2010-07-29T13:09:00.004-04:00

Want to learn more about me and how Siren came to be? Check out this great article in The Southampton Press!

http://www.27east.com/story_detail.cfm?id=290737&town=Southampton

Siren in Australia!

2010-07-26T15:53:00.004-04:00

I just received my very first foreign edition of Siren and was so excited I had to immediately take—and share!—pictures. This is the Australian/New Zealand edition, which will be published by Penguin Australia next month. As you can see, they used the same image as the US version but played with the title font. I think it looks amazing, and I can't wait to hear what readers overseas think of Vanessa's story!

Around-the-Web Tour, Week 2!

2010-07-22T08:38:00.004-04:00

We have another great lineup of blog visits this week! Here they are:

7/22: One Book at a Time

7/23: YA Book Queen

7/24: Read Into This

7/25: The Book Scout

7/26: The Story Siren

7/27: Musings of a Reader Happy

7/28: The Neverending Shelf

Thank you again to my lovely hosts!

Ruby's Slippers Now (mostly) Available!

2010-07-19T07:46:00.002-04:00

Ruby's Slippers, about a sweet 12-year-old who moves with her mother from rural Kansas to live with her grandmother somewhere WAY over the rainbow in Coconut Grove, Florida, releases tomorrow! But since it's already shipping from online outlets, and since I saw it at my local Barnes & Noble over the weekend, I thought it was okay to announce its release today.

A few fun things about Miss Ruby Lee.

First, way back when I proposed this story to my editor, it featured another significant character: Elvis. That's right, the King of Rock was originally supposed to play a very large role in Ruby's story because her mother was supposed to be obsessed with him and his music. But when my editor read the sample pages, she loved the story of Ruby, her mother, and her grandmother, but found the Elvis parts distracting. Which was exactly how I felt writing them; I'd get so engrossed in everything else I'd have to remind myself to throw in an Elvis reference. So, my editor, being the very wise woman that she is, suggested that I continue the story without him. And thank goodness for that!

With Elvis gone, the book needed a new title. The original was All Shook Up, which no longer worked for obvious reasons. I came up with The Yellow Brick Road to Coconut Grove, which I thought was great but others at Simon & Schuster felt was too long. My editor offered Ruby Slippers as a play on Ruby's favorite Converse sneakers, and I proposed tweaking that to Ruby's Slippers so it suggested more about her journey. Everyone agreed this title was the winner. And it inspired the adorable cover, which I LOVE.

Finally, I'm thrilled to report that Ruby's Slippers was selected for the Scholastic Book Club and Fairs! Anyone who knew me as a little girl knows how much I loved the SBC; I'd spend hours analyzing the flyer before deciding which books to spend my saved weekly allowance on, and count down the days until those books arrived. So the fact that Ruby's Slippers joins The Melting of Maggie Bean and Maggie Bean Stays Afloat in receiving the honor of inclusion is very, very exciting.

I hope you enjoy!

Around-the-Web Tour, Week 1!

2010-07-16T07:41:00.004-04:00

Whew! The days since Siren's official release have been so filled with fun and excitement, this entire week has felt like one big party!

And what makes a great party even better? Hosts (or hostesses!) with the most (mostesses?). Over the next few weeks I'll be visiting some of the best book blogs the writing and reading community is lucky enough to have, and chatting with bloggers about Siren, writing, and more. The first lineup is below; I'll post the second next week.

THANK YOU to my lovely hosts for having me! It's an honor!

7/15: A Good Addiction

7/16: Mundie Moms

7/17: Reading Rocks

7/18: Bookalicious

7/19: Potter, Percy, and I

7/20: So Many Books, So Little Time

7/21: Booking Through 365

Have a great weekend!

Merry Christmas in July!

2010-07-13T07:38:00.003-04:00

I have to say, I didn't sleep very well last night. It felt a little like Christmas Eve, because I knew when I woke up, the best present ever would be waiting: SIREN's official release!

The idea for Siren started percolating two summers ago, but I didn't know what would become of it. While I was a fan of supernatural/paranormal reads, I'd never tried writing in that genre before and wasn't sure I could. Fortunately, when I ran the idea by my agent, the lovely and oh-so-wise Rebecca Sherman, she didn't chuckle, give me an affectionate, electronic pat on the head, and suggest I keep brainstorming. Instead, she said the idea, while unexpected, had potential, and that I should run with it. So I did. Nine months later, Siren sold at auction in a three-book deal to super-editor Regina Griffin at Egmont USA.

Many wonderful things have happened since then. Rights to the trilogy have sold in several foreign territories, Audible will release audio versions of all three books, and Costco has picked up the first title...which means the next time you need to load up on paper towels and toothpaste, you might find spooky silver eyes looking back at you from the book table! Siren has also received some lovely reviews, which you can find on my regular website (www.triciarayburn.com).

So in a way, the entire last year has felt like Christmas. And I want to thank Rebecca, Regina, everyone at Egmont and Writers House, my friends and family, and my fabulous readers for making these gifts possible.

As I said in Siren's acknowledgments, I'm a lucky girl.

My Very First SIREN Store Sighting!

2010-07-09T15:20:00.002-04:00

Four days early!!

Appropriately, I found it out at my local Borders, where I spent many, many hours working on the first draft!

But It's So Pretty!

2010-07-09T09:06:00.005-04:00

Given my rather intense feelings about scary sea creatures, one might wonder why I don't just stay off the beach completely.

Here are several reasons.

Have a great weekend!

Real-Life Scary Sea Creatures Series, Day #5: Whale's Tale

2010-07-08T06:58:00.004-04:00

FIVE days till Siren's release! I can't believe it's so soon!

In other hard-to-believe news, three months ago a young humpback whale washed up on an East Hampton beach. Reports claimed it was sick and had separated from its mother, and for days it languished onshore as curious onlookers took pictures. This photo's courtesy of Newsday/AP:

And this is a perfect example of my complicated relationship with the sea. Because while the idea of this 30-foot-long creature and I bumping into each other underwater terrifies me, I thought this was the saddest story ever. After a few days, when the poor thing hadn't miraculously gotten better and swum away, passed on its own, or passed with the help of oceanography experts, I couldn't even check the news anymore. It was too sad.

Do I want to swim with humpback whales or other scary sea creatures? No. But do I think they're beautiful? Majestic? Awe-inspiring? Absolutely. As long as they stay in their world and I stay in mine, we're good.

All that said, there is one sea creature I'd willingly swim with—in a pool, surrounded by trained professionals.

How cute is he??

The Final Countdown & Real-Life Scary Sea Creatures, Day #4: the Montauk Monster

2010-07-06T08:56:00.003-04:00

Siren hits shelves one week from today! That's super exciting and kind of scary at the same time.

But what's REALLY scary? This:

Dubbed the "Montauk Monster," this pretty little thing washed up onshore two summers ago and quickly became the talk of the town—and beyond. Major news outlets—including CNN and FOX News—picked up the story, and for weeks people around the globe tried to figure out what grotesque, unidentifiable sea creatures were plaguing the South Fork of Long Island. Rational guessers thought it wasn't a sea creature at all but rather a poor dog or raccoon. Others were certain it was exactly what its nickname suggested: a monster. Careful analysis was done by researches, scientists, wildlife experts, you name it. No verdict was ever reached.

Yet another reason to stay on the beach!

For more about the Montauk Monster, click here!

Read SIREN and Win Goodies at the Romantic Times Blog!

2010-07-02T15:58:00.002-04:00

Want to read the first chapter of Siren eleven days before its official release? And possibly win a fabulous Egmont beach bag filled with Siren, Shadow Hills, Raised by Wolves, The Dark Divine, AND a $40 Sephora gift card??

If so, check out the Romantic Times Daily Blog here!

Real-Life Scary Sea Creatures Series, Day #3: Breaking News!

2010-07-02T07:35:00.004-04:00

So, not only are sea creatures real AND scary, they're also major news.

For example.

Late yesterday morning, just after I'd wrapped up my jellyfish post, I was cruising along the Internet when I came upon a story with the following terrifying title:

SEA MONSTER FOSSIL FOUND IN PERU DESERT.

And unfortunately, this wasn't some sort of science-fiction, alien-abduction, conspiracy-theory-type website. It was CNN. The sea monster piece was its top story, placed front-and-center on the main page. I tried to be reassured by "Fossil" and "Peru" since they implied that said creature was a thing of the very distant past and a very distant place, but I was far too distracted by "Sea" and "Monster."

According to the article, it was three times the size of a modern-day killer whale. The fossilized skull was ten feet long. The teeth were so big they were initially confused for elephant tusks; their size suggests that the creature fed on other huge sea creatures, like baleen whales.

Here's an artist's rendering of the monster at lunch:

Do I think I might run into one of these while swimming in Long Island waters? No. But it makes me wonder: If we didn't know about this particular sea creature, what other ones do we have yet to meet?

To read the CNN story, click here!

Real-Life Scary Sea Creatures Series, Day #2: Beware the Blob!

2010-07-01T11:12:00.007-04:00

Two summers ago, I was determined to break my no-swimming-at-the-beach rule. It was hot. The water was cold. And as I mentioned yesterday, I love to swim, but besides the crowded pool at the local YMCA, which I didn't belong to, there was nowhere else to go. Also, I thought my fear of all sea creatures was a little extreme. After all, eastern Long Island beaches are busy, and no one ELSE was being attacked.

I decided to start small, with a bay beach in Sag Harbor. The water there was usually as flat as glass so I thought I'd be able to spot potential sea creatures before they spotted me. And if I didn't, I was confident the lifeguards would reach me in no time, since the beach itself was so narrow.

I was ready. I couldn't wait to dive on in, face my fear once and for all, and tell all my friends and family that I'd finally done it. I looked forward to the countless days of happy swimming that would surely follow.

The night before my big jump, I took a walk through town. Along the way I passed over the Sag Harbor bridge. The view's lovely, as you can see:

Unfortunately, the view from the bridge that night wasn't quite so pretty. Because instead of sailboats and swimmers and sea grass, I saw this:

A red lion's mane jellyfish. Only there wasn't just one. There were THOUSANDS. Maybe more. They sloshed together, covering the harbor in a massive, quivering, gelatinous blanket.

Now, this wasn't the water I'd planned to swim in, but it was close. (In the bridge picture above, the water I wanted to face my fear in is just on the other side of the trees.) And to my credit (maybe? a little?), I still went to the beach the next day. I was still determined; I even went in the water up to my knees. But it wasn't long before I saw one red jellyfish. And another. And another. They weren't bigger than six inches in diameter...but what if they were just the bait? What if they were there to trick me into going deeper, until I reached THIS?

Unlikely? Perhaps. But not impossible.

So I retreated to my beach chair, defeated once again!

**In my defense, there really was a sudden, unusual jellyfish invasion that summer. Every week there were new stories about new sightings in the local papers!**

Real-Life Scary Sea Creatures Series, Day #1

2010-06-30T08:07:00.005-04:00

Siren hits shelves in less than two weeks! In honor of the beautiful, dangerous, supposedly mythical ladies who inspired the story, over the next few days I'll be hosting a special "Real-Life Scary Sea Creatures" series. The title says it all, but to reiterate: sea creatures are scary. And REAL. Some of the ones I'll be writing about have made local appearances as recently as last week!

As an introduction, anyone who knows me—or who has read recent interviews—knows that despite loving swimming and the beach, I won't go swimming AT the beach. I learned how to doggy-paddle in the Long Island Sound way back when, but these days I won't venture deeper than my knees in any natural body of water. Why?

Sea creatures.

When I was younger, sea creatures were no big deal. I thought if we could physically be in the same water at the same time, then it was perfectly natural that we were. But years later, I've come to the conclusion that there are two worlds: theirs, and ours. If we were really meant to share space, we'd be able to breathe underwater and they'd be able to hop onshore and swing by the snack stand for watermelon Italian Ices. Since this isn't the case, I much prefer to admire their world from afar—or at least from the safety of my beach chair.

And so, presenting Real-Life Scary Sea Creature #1: JAWS.

I know what you're thinking. Jaws wasn't real—it was a movie. And you're right. In Steven Spielberg's amazing, terrifying, 1975 blockbuster, the great white shark was fake.

However.

Jaws the movie was based on Jaws the book. And Jaws the book was inspired by the very real experiences of famed shark hunter Frank Mundus. Mundus caught many sharks in the waters off Montauk, which is a quaint village at the very end of the South Fork of Long Island (for photos, see my "Inspiration" post below). In 1964, he snagged a 4,500-pound great white. And no, that's not a typo! Four THOUSAND, five HUNDRED pounds of scary shark. According to his website, it took five hand-held harpoons and five hours to rope the fish and start home. It was one of the biggest fish ever caught commercially by harpoon, and it was included in the Guiness Book of World Records as the largest catch.

So. Me and potential Jaws descendants? Hanging out together underwater? I don't think so!

That said, Frank Mundus' story is fascinating. For more about him and his adventures, including pictures of his record-breaking catch, check out www.fmundus.com!

At ALA? Come Say Hi!

2010-06-27T06:53:00.002-04:00

I'll be heading down to Washington D.C. in a few hours to attend the annual American Library Association conference. I've never been to ALA before and I've only driven through D.C. once, and that was late at night when nothing was open. So I'm very excited for multiple reasons! All of the Egmont staff and authors are staying in the same hotel, which is supposedly a stone's throw from the White House, so I'll definitely be swinging by and taking a few pictures. Maybe I'll even drop off Maggie Bean #1 and #3 so the First Lady has the full set! ;)

If you're at ALA, I'd love to see you! I'll be signing with fellow Egmont authors Jennifer Lynn Barnes (Raised by Wolves) and Bree Despain (The Dark Divine) at 11 a.m. tomorrow in Egmont booth #2708.

On a completely unrelated note, a lovely Twitter friend alerted to me to the fact that Siren is on PerezHilton.com! It's in a sidebar ad for Egmont's great Beach Bag Books downloads. Never did I think I'd make it on the gossip guru's site in any way, shape or form!

Off to finish packing! Hope you're having a great weekend!

Inspiration

2010-06-20T09:13:00.004-04:00

I had about as close to a perfect day as you can get yesterday. The sun was shining, temperatures were in the mid-70s, and my husband and I drove out to Montauk, which is at the very end of the South Fork of Long Island. After walking around and having a delicious dinner by the water, we saw Ingrid Michaelson perform at The Stephen Talkhouse in Amagansett.

I took photos to share because not only is Montauk gorgeous and Ingrid amazing, but they both played a role in the writing of Siren. The story takes place in a coastal New England town, and while describing the setting, I envisioned Montauk Harbor and other places like it. And Ingrid makes some GREAT writing music...I must've listened to Girls & Boys a thousand times while working on Siren!

Hope you're having a great weekend, too!

It's a Real Book!

2010-06-16T17:02:00.004-04:00

I just received my first finished copies of Siren...and they're BEAUTIFUL! The title and Vanessa's eyes have a special silver treatment that really pops from the jacket. I was warned by the lovely folks at Egmont that the eyes seem to follow you around the room, and they weren't kidding!

Only a few short weeks till these pretty little things hit bookstore shelves! I can't wait!!

Beach Bound?

2010-06-16T07:18:00.002-04:00

It's going to be another gorgeous day today, and I'm determined to meet my daily writing goal by early afternoon so I can reward myself with a trip to the beach! If I do, I'll be bringing The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society, which I'm LOVING.

And speaking of beach reads, Egmont USA is currently offering an amazing audio preview of books that'll make your next stay at the shore even better. Available for sampling are Siren, The Dark Divine by Bree Despain, Raised by Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, and Shadow Hills by Anastasia Hopcus.

Check it out!
http://www.egmontusa.com/beachbag/

Maggie Bean Meets Michelle Obama!

2010-06-09T14:34:00.003-04:00

There are no words to express just how honored (and thrilled and awed!) I was to learn that Maggie Bean Stays Afloat was going to be included in Healthy Lifestyle Kits for the First Lady's amazing new Let's Read. Let's Move. initiative.

The program, which aims to keep kids exercising and reading during the summer months, kicked off yesterday. More information can be found in the press release below!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 8, 2010

First Lady, First Book, and Others Launch Summer

Initiative to Curb Childhood Obesity and Reading Loss

Books provided by Random House and Simon & Schuster

Washington, DC—First Lady Michelle Obama, four Cabinet Secretaries, and representatives from First Book and the Corporation for National and Community Service gathered today to launch United We Serve: Let’s Read. Let’s Move. The new initiative will get more Americans volunteering to combat childhood obesity and summer learning loss among youth.

At today’s launch event, the First Lady and Congressional leaders packed Healthy Lifestyle Kits as part of the initiative that included activity equipment, healthy snacks, and new books donated by Random House Children’s Book and Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing. The kits will be distributed to more than 3,000 young people.

First Book (www.firstbook.org) is a national nonprofit organization that has provided more than 70 million new books to children from low-income families. In joining forces with the Let’s Read. Let’s Move. Initiative, First Book is supporting an Administration-wide effort to expand opportunities to engage young people in summer reading and physical activities as well as provide access to healthy, affordable food. Kyle Zimmer, President and CEO of First Book, said, “First Book is thrilled to support the First Lady and her efforts to encourage reading and exercise during the summer and we couldn’t be more grateful to our friends at Random House and Simon & Schuster for providing such wonderful books to this initiative. Heroic partners like these make our impact so much more powerful; I know these books will get kids reading—and moving—all summer long.”

Paul Crichton of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing said, “We at Simon & Schuster are enormous supporters of First Book, and the opportunity to continue our work with them along with the First Lady’s mission is such a wonderful opportunity. We are simply thrilled to be part of the launch of United We Serve: Let’s Read, Let’s Move.”

Books distributed today by the First Lady and others included The Busy Body Book: A Kid’s Guide To Fitness (Random House) by Lizzy Rockwell, Maggie Bean Stays Afloat (Simon & Schuster) by Tricia Rayburn, Monsters Don’t Eat Broccoli (Random House) by Barbara Jean Hicks, Oh The Things You Can Do That Are Good For You: All About Staying Healthy (Random House) by Tish Rabe, and Stretch (Simon & Schuster) by Doreen Cronin.

The Problem

Research shows that a staggering percentage of young people suffer learning-loss and acquire unhealthy eating habits during the summer break. Young people can lose 1 ½ years of reading achievement over the summer, 1 out of 3 children in the U.S. are overweight or obese, and millions of youth go without healthy, nutritious meals over the summer months. Let’s Read. Let’s Move. makes it easy for Americans to help youth build strong minds and bodies through summer reading, exercise, and eating healthy foods—all of which are contributing factors to achieving success in school.

About the First Lady

Nearly a year ago, the First Lady began a national conversation with America’s children about proper nutrition and the role food plays in living a healthy life. That discussion grew into the Let’s Move! campaign. The campaign will combat the epidemic of childhood obesity through a comprehensive approach that builds on effective strategies, and mobilizes public and private sector resources.

About First Book

First Book (www.firstbook.org) provides new books to children in need, addressing one of the most important factors affecting literacy – access to books. An innovative leader in social enterprise, First Book has distributed more than 70 million free and low-cost books in thousands of communities. For additional books focused on healthy eating and exercise please visit the First Book Marketplace (www.fbmarketplace.org).

About Random House Children’s Books
Random House Children’s Books is the world’s largest English-language children’s trade book publisher. Creating books for toddlers through young adult readers, in all formats from board books to activity books to picture books and novels, the imprints of Random House Children’s Books bring together award-winning authors and illustrators, world-famous franchise characters, and multimillion-copy series. The company’s website, kids@random (www.randomhouse.com/kids) offers an array of activities, games and educational resources for children, teens, parents, and educators. Random House Children’s Books is a division of Random House, Inc., whose parent company is Bertelsmann AG, a leading international media company.

About Simon & Schuster

Simon & Schuster, a part of CBS Corporation, is a global leader in the field of general interest publishing, dedicated to providing the best in fiction and nonfiction for consumers of all ages, across all printed, electronic, and audio formats. Its divisions include Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing, Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, Simon & Schuster Audio, Simon & Schuster Digital, and international companies in Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit our website at www.simonandschuster.com

Ruby Tuesday Teaser

2010-06-08T07:36:00.003-04:00

I'm so excited that Ruby's Slippers will be released in just a few weeks! To celebrate, here's a sneak peek of the first chapter:

I have two favorite parts in The Wizard of Oz. I know it’s kind of impossible to have more than one favorite of anything, but I think sometimes, like in the case of the best movie ever made, it’s okay to make an exception. Because The Wizard of Oz has so many great moments—like when Dorothy first opens the door of her tornado-tossed house to a bright and colorful new world. And when the merry munchkins and Glinda the Good Witch of the North welcome her over the rainbow and present her with sparkly, ruby red slippers. And when she finally makes it to Oz with her new group of friends and they all get head-to-toe makeovers. With so many memorable parts to choose from, it’s practically impossible to pick just one favorite. So, I have two.

The beginning. And the end.

It sounds weird, I know. My two favorite parts of the movie are the only parts in black and white. Most people can’t wait for Dorothy to get whisked away from boring, gray Kansas and wake up surrounded by flowers and lollipops. Who wouldn’t want to go to sleep and wake up somewhere over the rainbow?

Well, me, for one. The beginning and the end are my favorite parts because that’s when Dorothy is surrounded by everyone who loves her most. That’s when she’s happiest. And that’s exactly how I feel at home in Curly Creek…and how, after today, I might not ever feel again.

BEA Wrap-Up

2010-05-28T06:58:00.006-04:00

I had an amazing time at BookExpo America yesterday! If you haven't experienced it before, BEA is an annual conference that brings together publishers, authors, booksellers, librarians, and other book enthusiasts. Publishers introduce upcoming titles, and authors get to chat with important gatekeepers of the larger reading community. It all takes place in the Javits Center, an enormous conference center in NYC.

My morning began after a near-sleepless night, courtesy of a barrage of thunderstorms and a terrifed shih tzu. I took a 6:30 bus into the city and arrived just in time to meet Regina Griffin, my fabulous editor, for a quick breakfast. We talked about Siren, Siren 2, dogs and storms (she could relate!), Vermont, the difficulty of dressing up and staying comfortable, and all sorts of good things happening with Egmont USA. After that it was time to head to the autograph area, where I was scheduled for a 10 a.m. signing.

Now, the night before, I'd asked my husband, "What if no one comes?" I remembered the autograph area from when I attended BEA last year and pictured the row of 30 or so tables with authors behind them, the roped sections leading up to each table, and long lines in each of those sections—except mine. I didn't want my publisher to regret asking me to participate if no one showed. Fortunately, I knew that Rebecca, my agent, would be there; if necessary, she'd assure me that having a stack of books with no readers to give them to was normal for a first-time YA author, or for that time of morning, or whatever else I needed to hear.

As Regina and I approached table 10, I kept checking the signs above the roped-off sections. Because there was a line right around where I was supposed to be—a long one, that led away from the tables and into the exhibition area—and there was no way all those people were waiting to see me. When I saw that they were indeed standing before table 10, I thought there must be some sort of mistake—that BEA organizers had accidentally assigned the table to two authors, or changed my table and forgotten to tell me.

But guess what? There was no mistake. All those people, all those wonderful booksellers and librarians and bloggers, had taken time out of their busy BEA days to wait for signed copies of Siren. I was truly floored—and unbelievably grateful.

Regina instructed me to "sign fast," which I did, and 20 minutes later, we were out of books and the line had to be closed. Everything happened so quickly I barely had time to process the fact that Mary Higgins Clark, author of more than 40+ bestselling mystery/suspense novels, was signing at the table next to mine.

After that Rebecca and I hopped in a cab and went to a quaint coffee shop that, I soon learned, makes the best iced chai lattes EVER. We chatted books and publishing and upcoming projects, and I slowly recovered from the early-morning whirlwind. With a few minutes to spare, we swung by Writers House so I could meet Ty, Rebecca's assistant and Siren's very first fan, and Cecilia, director of children's subsidiary rights. Both were so lovely and sweet! (And by the way, I must mention that Rebecca's office is a book-lover's dream come true. She has floor-to-ceiling bookshelves with her very own rolling ladder!)

Then it was time for me to report back to the Javits Center and meet up with Egmont staff and authors. From there we walked to a nearby art gallery where Egmont was hosting a luncheon for booksellers and librarians. I got to meet and chat with authors Jen Lynn Barnes (Raised by Wolves), Anastasia Hopcus (Shadow Hills), Chelsea Campbell (The Rise of Renegade X), Jon and Pamela Voelkel (Middleworld, Al Roker's June book club pick!), and Alexandra Diaz (Of All the Stupid Things). After mingling for a few minutes, everyone took their assigned seats at five tables and authors divided into teams of two. The teams rotated tables every 15 minutes so that every author had a chance to speak with every guest. There's nothing like talking books with people who dedicate their professional lives to them, so this was another extraordinary opportunity.

And after that, I caught the bus back to eastern Long Island! I was tired from the day and no sleep the night before, and thanks to rush-hour and pre-holiday traffic, I had three hours to nap...but I was too excited. Instead, I played with my iPod, looked out the window, and thought about how very lucky I am.

A huge THANK YOU to everyone who made yesterday so memorable!!

And have a great Memorial Day weekend!

At BEA?

2010-05-26T08:11:00.004-04:00

I'll be signing advance copies of Siren at BEA tomorrow! If you're at the Javits Center and find yourself near the autographing area between 10 and 10:30 a.m., come say hi! I'll be at table 10.

Signing Pics

2010-05-16T07:32:00.012-04:00

I had a wonderful time reading and signing books yesterday! Many, many thanks to everyone who came, and to the B&N staff for making the event such a great experience!

Signing at B&N Tomorrow!

2010-05-14T06:58:00.002-04:00

I'll be signing copies of Maggie Bean in Love at the Barnes & Noble in Carle Place, NY tomorrow at 2 p.m. If you're in the neighborhood, stop on by! (And if you need extra incentive, the biggest, best mall on Long Island is right across the street!)

Hope to see you there!

Im Zauber der Sirenen

2010-05-11T07:18:00.003-04:00

I was so excited to come upon the German cover for Siren—or as it will be known in Germany, In the Charms of the Sirens (according to the online translator I used)!

Gorgeous!

Do the Write Thing for Nashville

2010-05-07T06:30:00.002-04:00

Last year, Nashville was voted the friendliest city in America by Travel + Leisure magazine. Now, as the town tries to recover from last weekend's terrible flooding, it's time to show a little kindness in return.

Authors, agents, and editors are donating books, critiques, and time to raise money for Nashville. Auction items yesterday included signed copies of Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins, a 30-minute phone call with agent Chris Richman of Upstart Crow Literary, and a signed advance copy of Everlasting by Angie Frazier.

Many more items will be up for bid in the next few days, so check out the link below to see what you can win while contributing to a great cause!

http://dothewritethingfornashville.blogspot.com/

SIREN Awarded the Holy Grail!

2010-04-25T09:51:00.002-04:00

The amazing Reggie over at The Undercover Book Lover has awarded SIREN her blog's highest honor: the Holy Grail!

Here's an excerpt from her fabulous review:

"Siren is a bittersweet, dangerous, magical read that will never cease to surprise; much like the sea itself. In Siren, the bond between the Vanessa and Justine is strong, but both have insecurities that affect their perception of themselves and each other. The mystical and enigmatic elements, linked with the romance in Siren, creates a very intense, yet effortless atmosphere that flows throughout the novel."

To read the full review, check out an interview with yours truly, AND enter to win one of two advance copies of SIREN, visit www.theundercoverbooklover.blogspot.com.

THANK YOU, Reggie!!

SIREN Shout-Out

2010-04-20T07:39:00.003-04:00

So excited that SIREN was mentioned on a recent Publisher's Weekly panel about young adult fiction!

From publishingperspectives.com:

When Twilight Fades: Young Adult Fiction and the Dawn of the Next Big Thing
April 15, 2010

By Helen Gregg

At a sold-out seminar last Tuesday hosted by Publisher’s Weekly, three panelists and a room full of representatives from the publishing industry gathered to discuss emerging trends in young adult and teen fiction, and to try to predict what might be next.

The panelists, two literary agents and a Hollywood literary scout, did not see an end of paranormal fiction in the near future. Claire Lundberg from MGM said she is presented with “a lot of paranormal; a lot of vampires, angels, zombies and a fair amount of werewolves are still getting optioned. I’m tired of it but I’m not sure the kids are.” One of the literary agents, Rebecca Sherman of Writer’s House, said the paranormal trend was continuing, but “with a spin.” She cited campy new novels featuring overweight, unattractive vampires, and one novel, Blood Thirsty, about a pale, brooding boy who receives an unprecedented amount of female attention because of his resemblance to a Twilight vampire. Stephen Barbara, of Foundry Literary + Media, said writers were looking beyond vampires to other paranormal creatures. He referenced Tricia Rayburn’s upcoming series, Siren, a novel about mermaids with plenty of romance and a contemporary spin. He also reported a growing number of books about angels, in an attempt to capture not only the teen Twilight fans but the “large Christian market” as well.

Apart from the paranormal, the panelists and audience were also looking forward to the next popular subgenre among teens. Noticing teens’ attraction to darker subject matter, the conversation turned to a rise in dystopian novels for YA audiences, citing the popularity of the series The Hunger Games and its forthcoming film adaptation. The two literary agents revealed they each were working with dystopian novels as well, suggesting an emerging trend. Lundberg, however, held reservations about these novels finding success on the big screen. She referenced the recent adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s The Road, a popular novel made into an incredibly depressing film, and one that did not fare well at the box office. Even though one librarian assured the crowd that teens, including her own children, liked depressing books and movies, the subgenre may quickly disappear in the YA market if it does not find widespread commercial success.

However, the race to the next popular subgenre may not lead to the next million-copy series. Susan Katz, president and publisher of HarperCollins Children’s Books, who was in the audience but participated several times in the discussion, reminded the audience that a panel or publisher didn’t guess that a single mom in Britain would write a worldwide phenomenon about a boy wizard on napkins, she just did and it was. Similarly Twilight began, not followed, a trend. She offered one of the final thoughts for the panel, which was the next wildly successful series will emerge only “when someone writes something fantastic” that teens want to read and, more importantly, want to tell their friends about.

Lunch with Egmont

2010-04-14T06:43:00.005-04:00

Yesterday I was lucky enough to have lunch with my agent and the fabulous staff of Egmont USA at Egmont's NY office. We talked about all the fun and exciting things happening in the next three months leading up to SIREN's release. We also chatted about Twitter, which I'm now on (@triciarayburn)!

Here are some pics!

Me and Rebecca Sherman, my amazing agent

Me and the lovely Alison Weiss, Egmont Assistant Editor

Me and Regina Griffin, Egmont's—and SIREN's!—Executive Editor

Egmont publisher Elizabeth Law

All of the reasons you should run to the nearest bookstore ASAP!

Spring

2010-03-28T07:44:00.003-04:00

It's spring. Officially. And you know what that means: flip-flop season is right around the corner! In fact, it was so warm last week, I wore flip-flops four days in a row. I also wore jeans and a fleece instead of a skirt and tank top, and temperatures have since plummeted back into the thirties...but we're getting there!

Spring's all about transition, and I feel particularly in sync with Mother Nature at the moment as we've been transitioning for weeks in preparation for a big move. Well, it wasn't really a big move, geographically speaking—our new house is a 45-minute drive from our old one—but moving's such a chore, I don't think it matters how far you go. You still have to pack. And confront the stuff you stuck in the dark recesses of the basement five years ago because you didn't want to throw it away, but you didn't know what else to do with it. And decide what you absolutely need and what you can probably live without—and then toss the latter in hopes of starting over with as clean a slate as possible.

But once the hard part's done, which it now is for us, you get to arrange the furniture. And find the perfect spot for your coffee cups. And write the first of many blog entries on your old couch in your new living room. As hard as it can to be to get to this point, settling is definitely worth transitioning. Which makes me excited for summer.

Speaking of, have you seen (500) Days of Summer? With Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel? If not, please do. And then get the soundtrack. Both are amazing!

A quick note on Siren the Sequel

2010-03-07T17:48:00.002-05:00

I recently received some lovely emails from readers who've read SIREN and wondered if there will be a sequel. And I'm very happy to announce that YES, there definitely will! I'm actually writing it now, and it should be released Summer 2011.

More details to come!

Win an Advance Copy of SIREN!

2010-03-04T07:34:00.002-05:00

The lovely Eleni at La Femme Readers is hosting a contest to win an advance copy of SIREN!

To find out more, click here: http://lafemmereaders.blogspot.com/2010/03/arc-giveaway-of-siren-by-tricia-rayburn.html

And here's a little more about the prize, courtesy of the Egmont summer catalog:

Seventeen-year-old Vanessa Sands is afraid of everything—the dark, heights, the ocean—but her fearless older sister, Justine, has always been there to coach her through every challenge. That is, until Justine goes cliff-diving one night near the family’s vacation house in Maine, and her lifeless body washes up on shore the next day.

Though her parents hope that they’ll be able to find closure back in Boston, Vanessa can’t help feeling that her sister’s death wasn’t an accident. After discovering that Justine was keeping a lot of secrets, Vanessa returns to Winter Harbor, hoping that Justine’s boyfriend might know more. But Caleb has been missing since Justine’s death.

Soon, it’s not just Vanessa who’s afraid. All of Winter Harbor is abuzz with anxiety when another body washes ashore, and panic sets in when the small town becomes host to a string of fatal, water-related accidents in which all the victims are found, horrifically, grinning from ear to ear.

Vanessa turns to Caleb’s brother, Simon, for help, and begins to find herself drawn to him. As the pair try to understand the sudden rash of creepy drownings, Vanessa uncovers a secret that threatens her new romance—and will change her life forever.

A seductive paranormal romance full of unexpected twists, Siren is certain to make a big summer splash.

Thanks, Eleni!!

Save the Date!

2010-02-15T08:09:00.004-05:00

I'll be signing copies of Maggie Bean in Love at the Barnes & Noble in Carle Place, NY, on Saturday, May 15, at 2 p.m.

If you're in the area, stop on by!

Book Stuff à Paris!

2010-02-01T17:06:00.015-05:00

Last week, I went to Paris for the first time ever. While there I swung by the young adult section of the Virgin Megastore on the Champs Elysées to see what les adolescents are reading.

Not surprisingly, they have excellent taste!

And at the Rodin museum, I found this.

Les Trois Sirènes, or The Three Sirens...which leads me to believe Monsieur Rodin also had excellent taste.

And speaking of taste, if Miss Maggie Bean ever made it to Paris, cafe au lait would definitely be her beverage of choice—especially since it's usually served with a piece of chocolat on the side!

More pictures to come!

Ruby Revealed!

2010-01-20T13:17:00.003-05:00

Isn't she pretty?? Many thanks to Kirsten Ulve, artist extraordinaire!

Welcome Back, BSC!

2010-01-03T07:54:00.007-05:00

I hope you had the happiest of holidays and that your new year is off to a great start! Mine definitely is, and here's one of the reasons why:

The Baby-Sitters are back.

For the unacquainted, The Baby-Sitters Club, written by Ann M. Martin, was (is!) a series of 130+ books featuring the babysitting trials and tribulations of a group of young teenage girls living in CT. There's tomboy Kristy, shy Mary Anne, chic Claudia, ex-NYC girl Stacey, California transplant Dawn, and junior members Mallory and Jessi. (There may be more; I reluctantly stopped reading around book #70, when I was already much older than the characters!) Every week the girls meet at Claudia's house (she has the secret junk food stash), and take phone calls from parents in need of sitters. They write about their babysitting experiences in a journal, which they all read to stay informed about what's happening with the kids they care for. Throughout the series, they have fun, fight, make up, fall in love, and become even better friends.

Back in the day, I lived for these books. This isn't an exaggeration. I'd save my allowance for the two times a year we went to the mall, load up on the newest titles, read them in a week, and then reread them over and over again until the next mall trip. I loved them all, but some of my favorites were #8, Boy-Crazy Stacey; #10, Logan Likes Mary Anne; #11, Kristy and the Snobs; #18, Stacey's Mistake; #60, Mary Anne's Makeover; and #64, Dawn's Family Feud. The series had a huge impact on my love of reading—and, eventually, writing.

Which is why I'm so excited they're back! According to The New York Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/31/books/31babysitters.html), Scholastic will soon reissue slightly revised versions of the first two books, along with a new prequel, in hopes of reviving the series.

Happy New Year, indeed!

Can You Say "SIREN"...in German?

2009-12-21T07:42:00.003-05:00

I can't, but I hope to soon!

I'm thrilled to announce that SIREN will be published by Ullstein in Germany. Here are deal details, courtesy of Publisher's Marketplace:

German rights to Tricia Rayburn's SIREN, to Ullstein, at auction, in a three-book deal, by Bastian Schlueck at the Thomas Schlueck Agency, on behalf of Cecilia de la Campa and Rebecca Sherman at Writers House.

So many wonderful presents, and Christmas is still four days away!

The Best Gift to Give this Holiday Season? LOVE!

2009-12-18T08:20:00.003-05:00

Can Maggie get straight As, save the swim team, AND be the best girlfriend ever? Find out now! Maggie Bean in Love is available—four days early—on Amazon and Barnes & Noble!

Check it out:
http://www.amazon.com/Maggie-Bean-Love-Tricia-Rayburn/dp/1416987002/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_3

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Maggie-Bean-in-Love/Tricia-Rayburn/e/9781416987000/?itm=1&USRI=tricia+rayburn

In the Long Island area? Not done Christmas shopping?

2009-12-17T16:02:00.002-05:00

I'll be signing copies of Maggie Bean at the Atlantis Marine World Aquarium (www.atlantismarineworld.com) in Riverhead, NY, next Wednesday, December 23, between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Other local children's authors will be signing their books, too, so if you're in the area, stop by and pick up some great stocking stuffers!

SIREN Overseas!

2009-12-09T08:56:00.003-05:00

I'm thrilled to announce that SIREN will be published in the UK, Australia and New Zealand! Here are details via thebookseller.com:

Faber signs young-adult fantasy series

07.12.09 Victoria Gallagher

Faber has acquired the rights to a new young-adult fantasy series by Tricia Rayburn.

In a pre-emptive deal, publishing director for children's books Julia Heydon-Wells bought UK and Commonwealth rights - excluding Australia and New Zealand - from Angharad Kowal, British rights director at Writers House.

The series currently comprises three titles, the first of which is called Siren. The book follows the story of Vanessa, whose elder sister has just died. She investigates a string of water-related-fatalities where the victims are all found eerily grinning from ear to ear. The UK publication date for Siren is yet to be confirmed.

Australian and New Zealand rights were also sold at auction to Penguin Australia.

More good news to follow as soon as I'm given the green light to share!

Maggie Tuesday Teaser!

2009-12-08T07:02:00.002-05:00

Maggie Bean in Love hits bookstore shelves two weeks from today! Here's another sneak peek at what's to come:

At exactly seven o’clock, Maggie stepped out of the limo and onto the long walkway leading to the front doors of the Paradise Cove Country Club. She couldn’t wait to go inside and see Arnie, but standing there in her mom’s sleeveless black velvet dress with a puffy skirt and sparkly rhinestone hem, the pearl necklace Aunt Violetta had given her for her twelfth birthday, and her favorite pair of black patent leather (one-inch) heels, she felt like something big was about to happen. Something major. Something that only happened once in a person’s lifetime.

Maggie Bean, Behind the Scenes

2009-11-22T07:53:00.002-05:00

Maggie Bean in Love hits bookstore shelves in ONE MONTH! Here are some fun factoids to help pass the remaining time:

1. Maggie Bean was originally named Lucy Moon. My agent suggested a name change because she knew of another book with another Lucy Moon.

2. The Melting of Maggie Bean started as an assignment in graduate school. The assignment was to write the first 30 pages of a young adult novel, but I had so much fun, I kept going!

3. In earlier drafts of The Melting of Maggie Bean, Maggie was a freshman in high school. My editor asked me to make her younger to fit Aladdin M!X, Simon and Schuster's line for tweens. Which is why, if you happen to have one of the first editions, the cover tag line reads, "It's freshman year—can Maggie withstand the heat?" That error was fixed in subsequent printings.

4. Aimee McDougall, Maggie's best friend, was inspired by another Aimee, who was one of my nearest and dearest friends in middle school.

5. Peter Applewood, Maggie's first crush, was inspired by another Peter, who was a good friend and had the locker next to mine in high school.

6. Both Real-Life Aimee and Real-Life Peter know the very important roles they played in shaping Fictional Aimee and Fictional Peter. This meant finally coming clean to Real-Life Peter about the years-long crush I had on him!

7. Like Maggie, I used to dread the annual mile run in gym class.

8. Unlike Ms. Pinkerton, my gym teachers were actually quite nice.

9. In The Melting of Maggie Bean, Maggie works out to Richard Simmons exercise tapes. Back in high school, I did, too...at least until I discovered Gilad, who wore all black, jogged in place on the beaches of Hawaii, and was generally way cool.

10. Maggie's experience as a junior camp counselor in Maggie Bean Stays Afloat was inspired by my experience as a lifeguard at a local water park.

11. Arnie, Maggie's first true love, loves Guitar Hero. So do I.

12. Ben, Maggie's crush in Maggie Bean Stays Afloat, loves "American Idol" karaoke. So do I.

13. In Maggie Bean Stays Afloat, Maggie goes house-hunting with her mom and little sister, which is something I used to do with my mom and little sister. While Mom talked to realtors, my sister and I raced upstairs and chose our bedrooms. I still remember my favorite house: a blue colonial on Amber Lane.

14. My middle school didn't have a synchronized swim team, but if it had, I totally would've wanted to be on it.

15. In Maggie Bean in Love, Maggie and Arnie go on several romantic dates. My favorite involves corn, scarecrows, and a twisted ankle.

Want to know more about how Maggie came to be? Ask away at triciarayburn@gmail.com!

Monday Maggie Mini!

2009-11-09T07:26:00.003-05:00

Here's another peek at what's to come in Maggie Bean in Love!

Maggie would never tell him so, but the more time she spent with Arnie, the more he reminded her of chocolate. It wasn’t just because he was sweet, or that each time she saw him was like being presented with a beautifully wrapped box of Valentine’s Day candy. It was because being near him seemed to make all her problems disappear and her stresses melt away, just like bags of Milky Ways and Snickers used to, not long ago.

And the Winner is (part 2)...

2009-11-07T07:46:00.002-05:00

Christina, from Kenmore, New York!

Christina answered question #2:
What's your favorite school subject and why?

Her response:
"My favorite subject is ELA because I love reading and writing!"

A girl after my own heart!

Thank you to all who entered! And CONGRATULATIONS, CHRISTINA!

Halloween Treat

2009-10-30T08:22:00.003-04:00

I received an advance copy of SIREN just in time for the year's spookiest holiday! The cover might change some before the official release, but this will give you an idea of just how haunted Vanessa, the main character, is by the events of the summer before her senior year of high school.

And here's a line from the back blurb:
Something deadly waits beneath the waves off Winter Harbor, and this summer, no one is safe...

If you haven't done so yet and have some time between tricks and treats, be sure to enter the Maggie Bean giveaway contest! I'll be announcing a winner early next week!

Happy Halloween!

Better Than a Magic Genie!

2009-10-27T07:17:00.006-04:00

Aladdin MIX, the super fun line for tweens that Maggie and Ruby are so lucky to be a part of, just launched a new website. It's pink, girly, and includes information about all their books—with excerpts! So if you want to learn more about some great authors, AND find out what happens in the first few pages of Maggie Bean in Love, check it out!

www.aladdinmix.com

Updates

2009-10-20T07:24:00.002-04:00

It's October 20th, and you know what that means—Maggie Bean in Love hits shelves in two months and two days! It also means Christmas is in two months and five days. I don't know about you, but I'm pretty excited for both events.

Here are some other exciting updates:
1. Maggie Bean Stays Afloat will be available as an e-book on October 27th.

2. I've seen the preliminary cover for Ruby's Slippers, and it's ADORABLE. So colorful and sparkly and fun! I'll share it as soon as I can.

3. I've also seen the preliminary cover for Siren, and it's SPOOKY. So murky and sparkly and fun in its own way. I should be getting my advance copies any day (yay!), and I'll post some pictures as soon as I do.

4. With both Siren and Ruby revisions done, I'm free and clear to work on a new project. I've started two, one young adult and one younger adult (for tweens), and I'm loving both! Starting new projects is kind of like opening presents on Christmas morning, except you get to do it whenever you want. :)

5. In other holiday news...I might've started listening to Christmas music already. I know it's a little early, but I couldn't help it! Christmas decorations are up in stores, it feels like winter outside, and I'm all for maximizing the season. Plus, radio stations will start playing Christmas music non-stop in a few weeks, so I'm just getting warmed up!

6. In still other holiday news, Halloween is right around the corner. Have you entered this month's Maggie Bean giveaway contest? See my last blog post for details!

Have a great day!

And the Winner is...

2009-10-01T17:25:00.000-04:00

Carly, from Mill Valley, California!

After receiving many WONDERFUL entries in the Maggie Bean giveaway contest, I wrote down everyone's names on little pieces of paper, mixed them up, and chose this month's winner!

Carly answered question #5:
As we also know, fruit and vegetables are better for us than M&M's and Reese's Pieces...but sometimes only candy will do. What's your favorite kind?

Her response:
"My favorite candy is Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. They could be called healthy because they are peanut butter and chocolate, which comes from a bean, at least that's what I convinced my mom. I like them because they're like heaven on Earth. I love chocolate, especially when it's the creamy outer coating of a peanut butter candy! It's kind of hard to explain."

Actually, I think you explained it perfectly, Carly!

If you sent in a response, THANK YOU! I loved reading your thoughts about school, gym, and candy. And you're automatically entered in this month's contest!

If you didn't send in a response, it's not too late! Just answer any of the first five questions (please see my post from 9/8), OR one of the following, by 10/31.

It's October, and you know what that means—Halloween's right around the corner! As you can probably guess, Maggie loves trick-or-treating (but especially treating), so this is one of her favorite holidays. What will you dress up as this year?

If you haven't decided on this year's costume yet, do you have a favorite that you've worn in the past? What was it? (Send a picture, and you'll be entered to win twice!)

Thanks again! And CONGRATULATIONS, CARLY!

Monday Maggie Mini!

2009-09-28T07:34:00.002-04:00

Here's a sneak peek at what's to come in Maggie Bean in Love!

Arnie got out of the car and came around to her side. She thanked his driver for the ride, and took Arnie’s hand when he opened the door.

If things felt different before, now they felt like part of someone else’s life. As they walked up the winding stone path to the restaurant’s entrance, she took it all in—the sprawling green lawn, beds of colorful flowers, birds chirping overhead, and large, sparkling lake, visible through The Lodge’s many windows—and wondered how she, boring old Maggie Bean, had gotten there.

And you still have three days to enter to win a signed copy of The Melting of Maggie Bean or Maggie Bean Stays Afloat! Thanks so much to all who have entered so far—I've loved reading your responses and will announce the winner later this week!

Football Convert?

2009-09-23T07:56:00.005-04:00

So, I've never understood the whole football thing. I enjoy watching most sports, especially live, but football? Not so much. Anytime I tried watching a game, I was pretty much immediately bored. It took the players forever to move a foot down the field, the game stopped every few seconds, and the players often got extremely angry for no apparent reason. Five minutes in (which is, like, a half an hour in real time), I'd be reading or surfing the web, and looking up only when the real fan on the couch next to me started yelling or cheering.

But then something changed: I watched "Friday Night Lights." The TV show, not the movie (though I hear that's good, too).

The show takes place in a small Texas town where EVERYTHING revolves around the Dillon Panthers, the high school football team. The players are community gods, and in the eyes of town residents, can do no wrong. (Unless they lose—then all sorts of heck breaks loose.) And they aren't just ball-throwing neanderthals...they're smart. Dedicated. Passionate. They occasionally take advantage of the perks of their positions, but mostly just work really hard under an extraordinary amount of pressure to win games and make fans happy. And as I watched the show and came to know the main players—Jason Street, the star quarterback who's paralyzed during a game in the first episode, Matt Saracen, the shy QB2 who takes care of his grandma with no help from his absentee parents, Tim Riggins, the cute brooder who lives with his older brother—I came to care about how they did on the field. Because I knew how much it mattered to them not just in that moment, in that game, but in their lives.

Suddenly, football was fascinating.

So last weekend, the Giants played the Cowboys. I still had a book and my laptop nearby while the game was on, but found myself paying more attention than usual. I even asked questions about rules and various plays, which I never cared about before. But I cared then because I understood a little more how much the players cared. And because the players weren't just angry men in tight pants, but grown-up versions of Jason Street, Matt Saracen, and Tim Riggins. I wondered what their stories were, what they went through in order to get to where they were. A TV show has to be really, REALLY good to sway how you feel about something in real life, so if you're on the fence about football and haven't seen "Friday Night Lights," definitely check it out. The season's barely begun, after all!

In other news, there are seven days left in the Maggie Bean contest! Enter to win at triciarayburn@gmail.com!

Win Signed Copies of Maggie!

2009-09-08T10:19:00.002-04:00

There's only one thing Maggie Bean loves more than chocolate, and that's the start of a new school year. Everything about it makes her happy: new classes, new pencils, new books. To celebrate the start of this school year and the upcoming release of Maggie Bean in Love, I'll be giving away signed copies of The Melting of Maggie Bean and Maggie Bean Stays Afloat each month between now and December!

To enter to win, all you have to do is email me at triciarayburn@gmail.com with an answer to one of the following:

1. What do you like most about school?

2. What's your favorite subject and why?

3. In The Melting of Maggie Bean, Maggie dreads the annual mile run in gym class. Do you love or loathe gym? Why?

4. As we know, Maggie tends to munch when she's stressed. When homework and tests start piling up, do you have any tricks or routines that help you stay focused? If so, what are they?

5. As we also know, fruit and vegetables are better for us than M&M's and Reese's Pieces...but sometimes only candy will do. What's your favorite kind?

Please feel free to write as little or much as you'd like! I'll choose the first winner on September 30.

I can't wait to read your answers, and hope your school year's off to a great start!

Happy Birthday, Great & Powerful Oz!

2009-08-23T11:06:00.004-04:00

It's hard to believe that Dorothy, Toto, and the gang made their big-screen debut in August, 1939—70 years ago! To celebrate seven decades of munchkins and merriment, a digitally remastered DVD collection and a hi-def Blu-Ray edition will be released next month, and movie theaters across the country will host one-night screenings throughout the fall.

Serious Oz fans can attend OZtoberFEST (www.oztoberfest.com) in Wamego, Kansas, a town that has apparently embraced all things Oz more than any other in the state. Taking place October 3-4, the festival will feature appearances by four of the original munchkins, autographs with Roger and Robert Baum, great-grandsons of L. Frank Baum, hot air balloon rides, a display of dresses worn by Judy Garland in the movie, and special presentations.

I don't think I'll make it to Kansas, unfortunately, but I do plan to attend the one-night screening in my area on September 23. And I'll celebrate again in May, with the release of Ruby's Slippers!

(FYI, Ruby loves The Wizard of Oz. LOVES it. It's her favorite movie of all time—and for very good reason!)

Maggie Bean in Love & Justice Stores

2009-07-31T18:31:00.004-04:00

This just in from the Publisher's Weekly Children's Bookshelf Newsletter!

Simon & Schuster’s Aladdin Mix imprint has partnered with tween-centric Justice stores (formerly Limited Too) to promote a different Aladdin Mix title each month, both in 900 stores nationwide as well as online. The first featured book, for the month of July, is Liberty Porter, First Daughter by Julia DeVillers. Subsequent books in the promotion will be Things Are Gonna Get Ugly by Hillary Homzie, Four Truths and a Lie by Lauren Barnholdt, DeVillers’s Trading Faces, Maggie Bean in Love by Tricia Rayburn and The Cupid Chronicles by Coleen Murtagh Paratore. An excerpt from Liberty Porter is currently available on the Justice website. (http://www.hotcoolstuff.shopjustice.com/rockin-reads)

So exciting!

And...We're Back!

2009-07-26T08:36:00.004-04:00

Back in May, I said I would no longer be updating this blog...but because Google loves Blogger, and because it finds things in entries here that it doesn't on my regular website, I'm giving it another go. To make up for lost time, I've re-posted below entries written since the switch.

I'll still update my website with information about me and my books, but for now, you can find the blog here!

And She's Off!

2009-07-26T08:31:00.003-04:00

Ruby’s Slippers is done! I sent the first draft to Kate the Great (my editor) on Friday.

A range of emotions always accompanies the initial send-off. I’m excited that what started as a simple idea made up of a few sentences has grown into an entire book. I’m relieved that the book’s temporarily done. I’m eager—and a little nervous—for my editor’s feedback. I’m anxious to revise until the book’s as good as can be. I’m nostalgic for the fun times my characters and I just shared.

I’m also a little lost. When I’m working on a project (especially one with a deadline!), I’m IN it. I write and revise for weeks on end, sometimes longer, depending on the book. Whenever I’m not writing or revising, I’m outlining, or plotting, or thinking about how to improve what’s already been done. If I take a whole day off and am too busy to sit in front of the computer and too distracted to even think about the project, I can’t wait to wake up the next morning and get back to it.

Of course, breaks are good. Everyone needs them. And after working so intensely for so long, my brain definitely welcomes the chance to recharge. But I know it’s only a matter of days before I’m ready to dive into the next project.

Then the problem becomes: Which one? I’ve been kicking around several ideas lately, including a spooky ‘tween series and a super romantic young adult novel. I’m already tempted to start jotting down notes and fleshing out characters.

But first thing’s first. There will be plenty of time to decide...after the break!

Ruby's on Amazon! (originally posted 7/9)

2009-07-25T22:12:00.002-04:00

There’s not much to see since the cover’s still in the works...but Ruby’s Slippers is on Amazon! It’s described as Gilmore Girls meets The Wizard of Oz, and has a release date of May 4, 2010.

As for the cover, my wonderful editor sent me a note last week with the current concept and samples by the artist they plan to use. I don’t want to say too much, too soon, but here’s a hint:

Shoe-bling.

I know I’m excited!

Run, Toto, Run! (originally posted 6/27)

2009-07-25T22:10:00.002-04:00

I read in a local paper that it rained 23 of the first 26 days of June. I haven’t been keeping track, but given that our grass seems to be a fast-growing distant relative of Audrey II in Little Shop of Horrors, that sounds about right.

It rained again yesterday. And thundered. The shih tzu’s not particularly fond of thunderstorms, so at the end of the day, when the clouds finally parted, we headed to one of our favorite spots to trot off the trauma. The sky was still fairly muted, and despite the earlier downpour, the air was thick with humidity, but I was sure that after pummeling our stretch of sand all day, Mother Nature would be content to take the night off.

I was wrong. We’d gone less than a mile when the clouds returned. I didn’t think much of it until they darkened, shifted, and sank low enough that I could reach up and touch them. They descended so quickly and moved in such a way that I was seriously watching for funnel formation. And I wasn’t the only one—as the rain and lightning started and we booked it to the car, a passing cyclist called out, “Run, Toto, run!” At which point, of course, Murphy decided to pull on the leash and sit down. In the middle of the parking lot. In the middle of a tornado.

Thankfully, the clouds continued to shift without spiraling all the way down, but the scene was still like something out of Twister. Joggers sprinted, dogs barked, cyclists flew. One cyclist took a particularly nasty spill, and another slowed enough to grab him by the arm and yank him up before pedaling on.

I’m no Helen Hunt and my digital camera’s no Dorothy (the tornado data recorder Hunt’s character created), but together we managed a few shots of the storm’s progression...

Click here for pictures:

http://web.me.com/triciarayburn/Tricia_Rayburn/Blog/Entries/2009/6/27_Run%2C_Toto%2C_Run!.html

Little House, Big Life (originally posted 6/25)

2009-07-25T22:07:00.003-04:00

Like most girls growing up in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, I loved “Little House on the Prairie.” Loosely based on the wonderful books by Laura Ingalls Wilder, the show featured Melissa Gilbert as Laura, a spunky, adorable “Half Pint” who lived with her family near the small town of Walnut Grove in the late 1800s. I loved everything about the show: the opening shot of Laura, Mary, and Carrie running through a field, the Ingalls’ home, Laura’s close relationship with Pa, bratty Nellie Oleson, their simple-yet-extremely-complicated life, and so much more. Most of all, I loved watching Laura find her way in and out of sticky situations. No matter what she did or how much trouble she got into, her family was always there to help. And while life on the prairie presented many challenges (blizzards, tornados, fires, bad crops, illness), all in all, I thought Laura was one lucky girl.

Which was I was so excited to pick up Prairie Tale, Melissa Gilbert’s new memoir. I couldn’t wait to dive in and learn all sorts of little-known, behind-the-scenes secrets of one of my favorite childhood shows and stars. Who got along on set? Who didn’t? How fun was it to grow up on such a successful show? What was life like post-prairie?

Well, I learned everything I wanted to know about Melissa Gilbert...and a few things I probably didn’t! Here are some highlights:

For the first 24 hours of her life, Melissa was known as “Baby Girl.” She was then adopted by an entertainment super-couple in California.
She and Michael Landon, who played Pa, had a very special relationship. He was like the father she never really had.
She didn’t really get along with Melissa Sue Anderson, who played Laura’s older sister Mary. She was, however, great friends with Alison Arngrim, who played mean Nellie Oleson.
Jonathan Gilbert, her brother, played Willie Oleson.
She hated filming romantic scenes with Dean Butler, who played Laura’s husband Almanzo. Melissa was only 15 when their on-screen relationship progressed, and Dean was several years older.
She considered herself a dorky, sheltered kid, and as a result, had difficulty transitioning to adult life.
She had a nose job...and other elective surgery. Sometimes more than once.
She dated Rob Lowe on and off for six years. They were engaged at one point, but eventually called it off.
She hung out with and/or dated many other famous boys/men, including Scott Baio, Tom Cruise, and John Cusack. Kiefer Sutherland is apparently still in love with her, but Melissa’s happily married to Bruce Boxleitner.
Despite making countless TV movies, she’s always been a little self-conscious around other “big screen” actors.
She served two terms as president of the Screen Actors Guild.
While hanging out with friends, she was invited to Michael Jackson’s ranch—by Michael Jackson. That same night, she and her friends chose to hang out with Liza Minnelli instead.
Sara Gilbert, who played Darlene on “Roseanne,” is her sister.
Throughout her life, she’s struggled with a variety of addictions.

I’ll stop there for those who want to read the book...but the main thing I took away? Despite blizzards, tornados, fire, bad crops, illness, and a host of other problems, growing up on the prairie was, in some ways, much easier than growing up in Hollywood!

Summer Office Rotation (originally posted 6/17)

2009-07-25T22:02:00.002-04:00

I usually write in one of five places, each of which has its own set of pros and cons.

Home Office

Pros: close by, no showering necessary, fun breaks with the shih tzu, free coffee

Cons: sometimes too close by, no showering necessary, unlimited procrastination opportunities (i.e. internet, laundry, cleaning, fun breaks with the shih tzu)

Starbucks

Pros: close by, comfy chairs, no internet, good coffee, Frappuccinos

Cons: restricted hours (i.e. off-limits pretty much all summer, when our location’s overrun with vacationers)

Panera

Pros: close by, outdoor seating, limited but adequate coffee selection

Cons: free internet, restricted hours (meal times too busy/distracting)

Borders

Pros: location provides good driving/thinking time, surrounding books provide inspiration, no internet, less-than-stellar coffee selection

Cons: at 45 minutes away, sometimes too much driving/thinking time

Barnes & Noble

Pros: location provides great driving/thinking time, surrounding books provide inspiration, in-house Starbucks, comfy chairs, ideal atmosphere

Cons: at over an hour away, sometimes too much driving/thinking time, free internet

In a perfect world, I’d be at Barnes & Noble every day; but in this world, where B&N is so far away, I usually only get there once every other week. Rotating between the rest usually works well, but with Starbucks out of commission for the next two months, I think it might be time to add a temporary substitute.

Like, the beach.

This one’s tricky. The beach has many pros—it’s close by, outside, internet-free, and gorgeous—but it also has some serious cons. Namely, sand. The sun offers its own challenges, but a good umbrella can take care most of those. The sand, however, always finds a way to infiltrate everything you bring to the beach, no matter how hard you try to protect against it. I could drive to the beach and work in my car without ever getting out, and sand would still find a way in. And if the sand got to my laptop, that’d it for my office rotation.

Still, I think it might be worth the risk. Especially on days like today, when the sky’s blue, the sun’s shining...and Barnes & Noble is still so far away!

Torrential Rain = Foiled Plan (originally posted 6/9)

2009-07-25T22:01:00.002-04:00

I had big plans for today. Big plans I’d been planning—and putting off—for days.

I was going to cut the grass.

This might not sound like a big deal...but our yard, though small, is actually a hill. And it’s been raining a lot, so the grass is tall enough that Murphy looks like a lion skulking through the African savanna whenever he walks through. And our poor excuse for a lawnmower is currently held together by a shoelace. All of which makes cutting the grass as daunting a task as climbing Mount Everest in flip-flops.

But I was going to do it. For Murphy. And for our mailman, who probably won’t want to brave the harsh savanna once it swallows our mailbox.

Unfortunately, my big plans have been delayed. Because I woke up this morning to the sound of rain dancing across the roof. And later today, we’re supposed to be hit with severe thunderstorms. Which means by the time the skies clear and I drag the broken lawnmower out of the garage again, the grass will likely be a foot taller than it is now. That shoelace better be strong.

But the news isn’t all bad! Rainy days are bad for outdoor productivity, but great for indoor productivity. I’m going to work on Ruby’s Slippers and continue reading How to Say Goodbye in Robot by Natalie Standiford, which I picked up at BEA. I’m going to keep writing and reading till I can’t write or read anymore.

Or until the grass reaches the windows and turns day into night. Whichever comes first!

Egmont Faces (originally posted 6/3)

2009-07-25T21:55:00.007-04:00

Egmont hosted a “Coffee and Kringles” gathering at their BEA booth Saturday afternoon. I had no idea what kringle was before this (and kept picturing churros, which aren’t even close), but soon found out that it’s a Danish filled pastry. Totally apropos for Egmont USA’s launch, since the entire company is based in Denmark!

Here are a few shots from the event.

Doug Pocock (EVP, Egmont USA), me, Rob McMenemy (SVP and Managing Director, Egmont UK)

Rob McMenemy, Pam Bachorz (author), Elizabeth Law (Publisher, Egmont USA), me, Doug Pocock, Chris Myers (author), Jennifer Barnes (author), Kristin Venuti (author), Walter Dean Myers (author)

The Answers to My BEA Questions (originally posted 6/1)

2009-07-25T21:54:00.003-04:00

As predicted, BEA was a blast! I got to spend time with the entire Egmont USA team, meet other authors, hang out with my agent, and load up on lots of great new books. I also did a little shopping, which is always fun—especially in NYC!

The only way the weekend could’ve gone any better was if I hadn’t walked all the way across town in fairly new shoes shortly after my arrival, and if my feet hadn’t punished me for the following 48 hours. But, you live, you learn! And I definitely learned not to take any chances next time.

I also learned the answers to last Friday’s pre-BEA questions. Here they are:

Yes
Unfortunately, no
I’m guessing probably not, even though I didn’t get the chance to find out for sure
Yes!
If taking cabs everywhere, yes. If walking across town, no.
11, give or take. And I had to buy more when my stash from home ran out!
YES!
YES!

I was so busy I didn’t take many pictures, but there should be some floating around that I’ll try to find and share here.

I hope you had as wonderful a weekend!

Weekend of Books (originally posted 5/29)

2009-07-25T21:49:00.003-04:00

I’m headed to NYC for BEA today! This is my first time attending, and I can’t wait. I mean, I get excited just going to Barnes & Noble, and this afternoon I’ll be going to an entire convention center FILLED with books! I hope I can control my excitement enough to make somewhat intelligent/witty/coherent conversation with other attendees.

Additional concerns and questions include:

1. Will I be able to find the Egmont booth without enlisting the assistance of Javits Center security?

2. Will I be able to track down my favorite authors?

3. If I DO track down my favorite authors, will I be able to tell them how much I admire their work without sounding like an obsessed groupie?

4. 4. Will the rain hold off?

M5. My shoes are cute, but are they NYC-appropriate?

6. 6. Per question #5, how many Band-Aids will I go through?

7. 7. Is there a Starbucks near my hotel?

8. Do I really want to add caffeine to the natural buzz I already have?

Only time will tell! I’ll be sure to take lots of pictures and post a recap early next week. Until then, have a GREAT weekend!

Egmont USA to Launch at BEA This Weekend! (originally posted 5/27)

2009-07-25T21:45:00.003-04:00

Egmont USA (SIREN’s publisher!) will launch their first line at Book Expo America this weekend. I’ll be attending the festivities, and am so excited to meet the team and other Egmont authors. From my experiences so far, they seem like an incredibly dedicated, hard-working, enthusiastic bunch!

Here’s an article about the launch, courtesy of Publisher’s Weekly and thebookseller.com:

Egmont set for BEA US launch

27.05.09 Caroline Horn

Egmont USA is to launch its first children's list at Book Expo America this week as a showcase for 15 titles that will be published this autumn. The list is largely home-grown but includes such UK titles as Sir Charlie Stinky Socks and the Really Big Adventure by Kristina Stephenson and Mike Wilks' Mirrorscape, as well as co-acquisitions between the UK and US.

Egmont's move into the US follows that of Walker Books, Bloomsbury, and most recently, Macmillan. Egmont UK managing director Rob McMenemy said the decision to launch in the US "came out of an awareness that authors we publish such as Jenny Nimmo and Frank Beddor were going on to become huge stars in the US, but we didn't have the US publishing rights".

The UK and US teams will work closely with a view to acquiring globally. He added: "We have a virtual team spanning the US and UK which works very closely together, both reading manuscripts and acting as scouts for each other." Pam Bachorz's Candor was the first joint acquisition for Egmont UK, USA and joint venture company, Hardie Grant Egmont in Australia.

The launch list includes two picture books, six core fiction and seven YA novels, chosen from more than 350 manuscripts.

Egmont USA executive vice-president Doug Pocock said: "Our focus is on creating quality fiction from middle grade through to YA. We've noticed a real increase in strong fiction for teens but we remain committed to building a balanced list and are seeking exciting projects in each category."

The company will publish 30 to 40 original titles each year.

The US office has a core team of eight staff including publisher Elizabeth Law and executive editor Regina Griffin, with support from freelance staff. Random House will handle sales and distribution.

It will take several years for the US venture to contribute to the bottom line, said McMenemy.

He added: "We have entered the market for the long-term and we are only just in the development phase for the list and the business.

"An investment of this scale will always take some time to pay back and we do not expect profit for a few years yet."