Susane Colasanti - Journal

Exciting news: My paperback covers have a fresh new look! The main images are the same, but the covers have new fonts, tag lines, and embossing! I am so excited to see these on the shelves. They should look gorgeous because the spines all have a new look, too - these sweet watercolor stripes. Although the new editions won't be out for a few months, I just had to share them with you. If you see these When It Happens or Take Me There covers out in the world and are inspired to document them for me, that would rock.

I still haven't absorbed last Friday's good news. How can I be on a Top Ten Bestseller list with J.K. Rowling and Neil Gaiman? They clearly have me confused with someone else.

Or maybe I'm hallucinating. That's the kind of thing that happens when you've been scrutinizing copyedits for days. I'm obsessed with details, so I can agonize over a word choice for way longer than I should. Or whether a certain comma interrupts the dialogue flow. One detail I'm really happy about is that smiley faces are still part of the copyediting process, even though we've shifted to a new on-screen framework. Yay for the preservation of smiley faces, even if they're not in colored pencil anymore:



Other happy things include this Running for Fiction review of Waiting for You. I recently posted links to Robby's reviews of When It Happens and Take Me There. The most I can hope for is that my readers will relate to my books and maybe even feel better about their own lives. All of your kind words mean so much to me, I cannot even tell you. I feel extremely thankful for feedback like Robby's. Most of the time it's hard for authors to know how their books are doing out in the world. To everyone who has let me know how I'm doing: You rock. And for those of you who might want to connect with me, here's where you can find me on Facebook, MySpace, or Twitter.

Dude, the loudest storm just moved in. We had such a downpour yesterday, all resonant thunder and powerful wind. The storm was so intense that my screens are totally cleaned now. Bonus! I like working while it's pouring out, the sound of the summer rain, my warm desk lamp glowing. Back to the Something Like Fate copyedits. Maybe more smiley faces are waiting to be found.

It seems to be July. How did that happen? I don't know if it's been the incessant cloudy, rainy weather or what, but it totally doesn't feel like summer at all. Well, hey, here we are, so welcome! If you're on summer vacay, I hope you're having a blast so far. The thing I always loved most about summer vacay was the possibility of returning to school as this whole other person. Where you could show up on the first day and be the person you'd always wanted to be, and everyone would just accept the new you for who you are. Not like that ever happened. But the possibility that it could happen was exciting anyway.

Here are some things that are happening for real.

Juiciliciousss Reviews reviewed Waiting for You. I'm not sure why it took me so long to discover this site because it's really impressive. Stephanie has reviewed so many incredible books and she interviews the authors we love. Definitely one to check out. Also, Blogging YA posted a non-review of Waiting for You. I kind of think it turned out to be a review in disguise.

Over at Teenreads, I'm honored to be the latest guest blogger. Since a lot of people I know (including myself) struggle with living in the Now, I decided to write about why the Now is so important.

In Netflix news, I've started watching Gossip Girl. It's better than I expected. Of course I like Dan Humphrey the best because he's all - okay, you know what? I really can't discuss anything further about this show until I clear up a burning question. So can I just ask - are Leighton Meester and Minka Kelly the same person?



Seriously! What is up with them?! Are Leighton and Minka sisters and no one told me? Or is this some kind of conspiracy? Another thing is that Vanessa has a Cameron Diaz thing going on. But one burning question at a time. Any information regarding this matter is greatly appreciated.

I'm still buzzing from my High Line experience last night. It was even more amazing than I was expecting! I'll be posting pics later this week.

Some links:

Teens Writing for Teens interviewed me about fear, inspiration, and advice. I just found this awesome site, which was totally created by teens. If you're a teen writer looking for advice, check them out.

Nisha and LIbrary Lounge Lizard recently reviewed Waiting for You.

The Wall Street Journal posted an article about darker YA fiction.

Even though I write back to all of my reader email, I just want to say thanks to everyone who took the time to share their thoughts about Waiting for You. I've heard from a lot of readers who can relate to Marisa's struggle to feel normal, both readers who are dealing with an anxiety disorder or depression and readers who see parts of Marisa's story in their own lives. Your kind words mean more to me than you'll ever know.

Top Five Things I Heart This Week:

1. My new Rocket Dog flip-flops. Back before flip-flops got some style, I used to get silk and velvet ribbons from the fabric store and cover the rubber thong parts of my flip-flops with them. Then I would glue on sparkles or sequins. But now flip-flops are all tricked out. My Rocket Dogs are even tie-dyed.

2. The High LIne is open! It's an old elevated portion of subway tracks that has been transformed into a park. Reclaimed and recycled materials were used to create a beautiful green space, which New York City totally needs more of. It has lounge chairs that roll along the old train tracks. And all of the lighting is positioned near the walkway, so at night we may be able to see a few stars.

3. Scoring the first season of One Tree Hill and a Flight of the Conchords tee at the Virgin Megastore closing sale.

4. John Krasinski in Away We Go. Even with that beard. HIs sweetest line: "You're my life, Verona. My sky."

5. This Waiting for You ad in the July issue of Seventeen. Woot!

Congrats to the three winners of my Floor Display Contest!

Renee took first place with her super creative entry:



Love the When It Happens theme. Surprisingly, she was the only one who busted out the Photoshop. I could seriously play around on Photoshop for days. So fun! Renee won copies of all three of my books.

This pic scored a second-place win for Marjon:



Note the waiting mode of both the friendly neighbors in the pic and of the book itself. Putting sunglasses and the scarf on Waiting for You made the book like it was relaxing in a tropical climate, just as Marisa sometimes envisions. Nice one!

Paula won a copy of Take Me There:



You might not see the creative aspect of this photo. Here's the premise. Paula was one of my good friends in high school. I haven't seen her since then. A few months ago, we reconnected on Facebook and she found out that I'm an author. So this photo, with my friend from high school in front of the magazines we used to read and cut things out of to make collages, next to my floor display which is a reality we could only dream about back then, blows my mind on several levels. This photo is a holistic experience. It's a statement that dreams do become reality. Anything is possible. Remembering how difficult my life was back then, I'm here to tell you this: If I can be the architect of my own destiny, so can you.

I'm thrilled to announce the winners of the Living In the Now Contest! kd2188 won Waiting for You and Rachel won Take Me There. Winners, please send your names and addresses to me at friendly.neighbor [at] hotmail.com so I can get your prizes right out to you.

Some things regarding my ginormous Floor Display Contest. Not all Barnes & Noble locations have the displays up, so you can take your photo with just my books instead. Your photo can be taken with one or more of the books at home, but Waiting for You has to be included since that's what we're celebrating. Also, I've been hearing from booksellers across the country and it sounds like some displays just got put up. Therefore, I'm extending the contest deadline to Friday, June 5. The most creative photo wins signed copies of all three of my books! Here's how to enter.

Yay for Teenreads! They totally reviewed Waiting for You and also interviewed me. Find out how I (try to) balance writing with online time, why I love writing about soul mates, and why I have no worries about including pop culture references in my books.

I will be at an exciting event coming up this week here in New York. It's the NYC Teen Author Carnival! The fun will go down this Thursday, May 28, from 4:00 to 6:00 at the New York Public Library at 6th Avenue and 10th Street. Check out the list of attending authors, get the link to watch the event live, or RSVP if you'll be in the nabe - it's free. I'll be bringing some games, so come on by if you want to play!

Are you entering my ginormous Floor Display Contest? I hope so! I've extended the entry deadline to May 30. Also, if your local B&N doesn't have the floor display up, you can take your photo with my book(s) in a bookstore or at home. Whichever place will allow you to be your most creative self!

Some awesome teens got together and created a special upcoming event here in New York. It's the NYC Teen Author Carnival! The fun will go down on Thursday, May 28, from 4:00 to 6:00 at the New York Public Library Jefferson Market Branch, located at 6th Avenue and 10th Street. Check out the event site for a list of attending authors and a link to watch it live if you can't be there in person. I hear there won't be bumper cars or cotton candy, but I'll be bringing Chinese Checkers and Set (cool logic card game I can show you) if you feel like some game time.

Two new reviews of Waiting for You are out: one at The Book Obsession and another at Y.A. New York.

You have two more days to enter my Living In the Now contest. From the comments I've received so far, it sounds like most of us use reading or chocolate to feel better when we're sad. I know they work for me. Also, our Soul Mates Contest is accepting entries all month. I love hearing about your most adored soul mates.

Okay, my flip-flops have been taunting me for weeks, but today it's already 80 and sunny. I'm out.

When people ask me what kinds of books I write, I tell them that I write novels for teens. When they ask what kind of novels, I usually say that I write about soul mates. Soul mates have been at the heart of every one of my books. So technically I write romance, but I would never describe my books that way. Language is an interesting thing. A word that has a negative connotation to me could be totally positive to you. But to me, the term "romance novel" smacks of a helpless girl clinging to a shirtless boy with way too many muscles. I can't get past the cheese factor enough to describe my novels that way. Maybe I need to replace my old word association with an updated one.

Which brings me to the issue of chick lit. What is it? Does it have a negative or positive connotation?

Here's the Kirkus review of Waiting for You:

Kirkus, 5/15

Marisa spent freshman year grappling with anxiety disorder and depression. Now the amateur photographer is heading into sophomore year with some coping skills and waiting for love to find her. While her best friend is IMing older guys and her once-“normal” parents are separated, Marisa thinks she’s finally found romance with popular Derek, her first boyfriend. Why, then, would she rather hang out and discuss her problems, especially her relapsing depression, with her “totally geeked out” chemistry partner, Nash? Maybe while Marisa’s been waiting for love, it’s been in front of her all along. The story isn’t new, but Colasanti keeps it fresh by speaking to teens in their own language. Marisa’s realistic, first-person narration ably captures the importance of typical adolescent problems. The author also offers a hint of mystery (although readers will soon figure it out) with a late-night radio show featuring Dirty Dirk, an anonymous student who reaches out to Marisa. Chick lit for girls who think. (Fiction. YA)

Now, I totally appreciate a good review, and this one seems okay. It's just...um, I wasn't aware that I write chick lit. I'm assuming "Chick lit for girls who think" is a good thing. If we're going by the definition of chick lit recently mentioned in The New York Times, "fiction by and for women," then I guess I write it. But if that's all there is to the definition, then why do so many people perceive chick lit as fluff? It's true that I write about love, but every one of my books deals with serious issues. Some of these include physical abuse, sexual abuse, death, neglect, divorce, infidelity, and depression. Does chick lit define books dealing with serious issues? Or does it imply a light, fun read?

How do you define chick lit?

The thing about living in a 400-square-foot apartment is that you can't have as many bookshelves as you'd like. I have all these:



but, like, zero shelf space. So I'm having yet another contest to win them! This will be the final contest to celebrate the Waiting for You release, which was last week.

Before I explain the new contest, let's review the existing ones:

• Soul Mates Contest - this is a joint contest with Melissa Walker. To enter, watch our video and then tell us your favorite TV or movie soul mates. Ends June 1.

• Floor Display Contest - take a photo of you with the Waiting for You floor display, out now in Barnes & Noble stores. The most creative photo wins. Note: I've extended the rules to also include photos of you with just my books because not all B&N locations put up floor displays. Ends May 30.

• Blog tour contests - I've compiled a list of my May blog tour stops on the Waiting for You page of my website. Each site offered a chance to win a signed copy of Waiting for You. Some of the contests are still open.

And now...this week's contest! I'm calling it the Living In the Now Contest. In Waiting for You, Marisa struggles with living in the Now. It's hard for her because she has an anxiety disorder. She's constantly worrying about stupid things she said and what people think and a bunch of other stuff that prevents her from being present in the moment. So I want to know what you do to enjoy the Now. What things usually make you feel better when you're sad? When I'm feeling sad, I watch The Office or put on some John Mayer and that fixes me right up. What about you?

To enter: Leave a comment here, telling me your best Living In the Now feel-better strategy. I will select two winners. First prize is a signed copy of Waiting for You. Second prize is a signed copy of Take Me There. You have until 11:11 p.m. on Saturday, May 23 to enter. Good luck!

Book Release Day was super fun! I woke up with that exciting special event feeling. To celebrate, I visited Barnes & Noble and signed some books. More on that later. But first...

Yesterday was Day 10 of my blog tour. The Compulsive Reader asked me three summer-related questions to wrap up the tour. Thanks to everyone who hosted me. It was a total blast!

I'm psyched that several readers have already finished Waiting for You and took the time to write to me. When your new book comes out, you have no idea if it sucks or not until people tell you what's up. So please keep the feedback coming! More reviews are being posted, including this one on S. Krishna's Books.

Waiting for You wasn't the only book released yesterday. It was also the pub day of Sarah Dessen's Lock and Key paperback edition! I was all impressed that my floor display got to reside next to hers:



The tag line on mine said, "First love. Complicated love. True love." And Sarah's said, "Relationships. Romance. Real life." No, we didn't write those. The friendly neighbors at B&N whipped those up. Sarah's display was really pretty. Her paperback covers are the most gorgeous covers I've ever seen. Something about the way the hues, fonts, and images work together to completely reflect the tone of her books is so impressive. Congrats on another outstanding achievement, Sarah!

I'm not sure how long the floor displays will be up, so if you're interested in my Floor Display Contest (which requires a photo of you with my floor display), I recommend visiting your local B&N soon. First prize is signed copies of all three books. I'm not only having this contest to give away books, but I'd love to assemble a collage of you guys showing off your creative skills. That would be freaking awesome! Looking forward to your entries...

Book release day! Book release day!

Yay yay yay yay yay!

For Day 8 of my blog tour at Pop Culture Junkie, I discuss what my typical day is like. Alea is also giving away a signed copy of Waiting for You, along with all other hosts of my blog tour. Yesterday's tour stop was over at Shooting Stars Mag with High School Myth #7, which is all about the karma. I also discuss the Waiting for You playlist.

And there's more!

• Reading Keeps You Sane interviewed me about the Waiting for You title and cover.
• The Book Girl Reviews reviewed Waiting for You. I love the notebook format of that blog!
• Dissecting Perfection posted an impressively detailed review of When It Happens.

Here's a sweet gift from the Universe: The Waiting for You pub date, May 14, is also when the season finale of The Office will air, which is also their 100th episode! I can't watch it since I have to wait for the DVDs to come out, but I am anticipating this season more than any others. I love having fun things to look forward to. Book Release Week rocks!

The waiting is almost over. Waiting for You will be released this Thursday, May 14. Actually, I've heard from some readers who've already read it! Libraries and Borders got this party started early. Now all we need is cake.

I am immensely honored to be the first author reviewed at a shiny new book blog! Alley of Books reviewed Waiting for You and made my heart happy. When I write a book, I want my readers to feel like they've completed (or are just beginning) a journey by the time they finish the last page. That's exactly what Mitali described at the end of her review:

"I didn’t expect tears. Nor did I expect to have this sense of calm come over me. A peace I’ve never felt before. Like something inside of me understood that it was ok to wait. It was ok to not have someone, there was always tomorrow. I had heard ‘Love blossoms from friendships’. Yesterday I was a dreamer. Today I am a believer."

How sweet is that? Thanks for the awesome review, Mitali!

Today is the first day of my biggest contest to win signed copies of Waiting for You, Take Me There, and When It Happens. It's the Floor Display Contest! In case you haven't noticed floor displays in bookstores before, they're these cardboard risers that display an author's books on mini shelves, kind of like a book tower. Barnes & Noble stores and some indie bookstores will be putting up the Waiting for You floor displays this week, which will feature all three of my books.  The displays will be up for varying lengths of time, which is part of your challenge.

To enter the contest: Take a picture of you either with the floor display or with just my books (not all B&N locations put up floor displays). The most creative picture wins. You may use Photoshop, other photo enhancement, props, costumes, lighting effects, etc. Email your picture to me at friendly.neighbor [at] hotmail.com. Include your full name, mailing address, and email with your entry. All personal information will be kept confidential, of course. You have until 11:11 p.m. on Friday, June 5 to enter.

Prizes: Three winners will be selected. The first prize winner will receive signed copies of all three books. Second prize is Waiting for You and your choice of either Take Me There or When It Happens. Third prize is Take Me There.

This contest is open to US residents only. Looking for an international contest? Check out my Soul Mates Contest with Melissa Walker.

I can't wait to be dazzled by your creativity. Show me what you can do!

May 1 = May Day = my birthday = gifts for you! It's time to give back to all of you as my way of saying thank you for this life. So I'm starting my second contest today. The wonderful Melissa Walker and I have teamed up to present you with our Soul Mates Contest. Her new book, Lovestruck Summer, comes out this month along with Waiting for You. You can win signed copies of both books!

Melissa created this video of us, in which we discuss the contest prizes, the rules, and a bit about the things we like. I cannot take any credit for this video. Melissa filmed everything, then did all of the editing and text - I love her cute comments! She even added an outtakes section. Thanks for creating this sweet video, Melissa!

Here's how the Soul Mates Contest works. (Note: You might have to use your headphones if you're like me and are always meaning to stop by Shiny Happy Apple World for those gorgeous speakers, but somehow have not gone yet):


To enter the contest:

1. Leave a comment here to win Melissa's books and gift bag or leave a comment over at Melissa's blog to win my books and John Mayer stuff. In your comment, tell us about your favorite TV or movie soul mates who should be together but aren't. If they eventually get together, that's cool, just tell us about the time they weren't and you were like, "Ring ring! Clue phone!"

2. Your entry will count twice if you post this video on your blog, Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, etc. Leave the link in your comment.

3. You have until June 1 to enter.

Hey, it's Day One of my blog tour! Check out my interview with Taylor over at For the Love of Books.

May Day is also Buy Indie Day, so show your support of indie bookstores by visiting your local indie today.