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The wonderful Ms. Kate Hall, the director of the library where I work (and where I live!), asked me to be a part of this fun and informative new series about local artists and authors. Check out the super cool interview. Try to ignore the many strange faces I make as I talk. (And the umms....) However, I do have good hair and a cute dress. So.
Thanks to Kate and library for having me on the show!
We Were Liars. Loved this book. Tight, suspenseful writing. Not a word wasted. I will say nothing else. Trust me, you don't want it spoiled!!!
AJ Fikry. This is one of those books that I really liked, and then the more and more I think about it, I LOVED it. It is going to warrant a second reading, and that is a mark of a really good book! Makes me want to read more of Zevin, as I somehow haven't had her on my radar, and I must remedy that!
The Husband's Secret. I really enjoyed this one. It reminded me of Maeve Binchy in a way. I love finding new authors and knowing they have a backlist that I can work my way through.
The School Library Journal has a lot of wonderful things to say about INDIGO, and I so appreciate it. Reviews like this one get my book into the hands of young readers, through libraries and classrooms, and I'd just like to say thank you!
School Library Journal
02/01/2014
Gr 7–10—Contemporary issues such as bulimia, oil spills, and Hurricane Katrina augment this romantic coming-of-age saga while drawing on an ancient spiritual practice of seeing auras. After dealing with tragedy, Corrine sees everything through the blue lens of her changed vision. Set in New Orleans, a city where musical roots run deep, Corrine's story focuses on her attempts to reconnect with her family while she herself comes to terms with the traumatic loss of her sister. Corrine blames herself for many of her recent hard times and experiences some confusion regarding her own identity as a gifted and powerful seer. Her childhood friend Mia-Joy's struggles with bulimia help her to realize that even people she perceives as perfect have obstacles and problems to overcome. Teens will enjoy this compelling novel that offers a fresh, modern voice, a touch of the otherworldly, and a satisfying resolution.—Magdaline Henderson-Diman, formerly at Bass Harbor Memorial Library, Bernard, ME
I have the five winners from the Goodreads giveaway below. You will each receive a signed hardcover of INDIGO very shortly in the mail. And Hailey, you are the extra-awesome winner in that you also get a paperback of FLUTTER!
Congratulations to all the winners, and thank you to the many readers who entered! We will do this again soon.
Gina
There are five hard copies of INDIGO ready to be given away. All you need to do is enter through the Goodreads form below! US only for this contest please.
And thank you to all of my readers!
Also, one lucky winner of this giveaway will also receive a free paperback copy of FLUTTER!
This came from Booknut101, a reader who has a really awesome blog. And this tweet made my day, because I also LOVE this scene in INDIGO between Rennick and Corrine.
@GinaLinko I loved it! The chemistry between Corrine&Rennick was brilliant + the concepts unique. 1 of my fave scenes pic.twitter.com/ykke7IXOka
— Booknut101 (@Booknut101) December 17, 2013I will be at the Prairie Trails Library in Burbank, IL, at 7:00 on Tuesday, December 17th, to read from INDIGO, to sign books, and to talk writing.
Please come out for fun, books, and prizes!
Thank you to the wonderful Prairie Trails Library for having me.
A signed book makes a great gift, and you can get FLUTTER and INDIGO already signed from the wonderful Anderson's Bookshop.
Also, if you order one of my books before the holidays, all you have to do is send me an email at gina(at)ginalinko.com, with your address, and I will send you a personalized bookplate in the mail! And I promise to send it quickly so it gets there in time!
Check out the bookplates below with a few of my favorite lines from the books. And, as always, thank you, dear readers, and Happy Holidays!
~ a million yesses ~
~A life without love is like a year without summer~
Tomorrow is release day for two books I've been SERIOUSLY wanting to read! Elana K. Arnold's SPLENDOR, the sequel to the deeply romantic and beautifully written SACRED, and Julie Halpern's much awaited THE F--- IT LIST!
Take a look at the gorgeous covers, and then read their summaries on Goodreads. Better yet! Buy a copy! I'm going to!
I'm going to speak at a school today about the writing process, and I was revising my Powerpoint Presentation, when I added a new slide. It said quite simply:
I think this is excellent advice for all of us writers while we have that gorgeous, new idea floating around in our heads (my precious!), while we are brainstorming and researching and taking notes on napkins, scratch paper, and the stray index card.
In my talks with students, I often will ask them to boil down their favorite book or movie into seven words or less. I usually get things like:
And that is where I realized I needed a new slide. This is not enough. This is the HOOK, and it is good. It is needed, but what is the conflict? What does that character want or need?
Because once you have what it is the character NEEDS (or thinks she needs), then you have not only your conflict, but you have your plot. Because all your plot really is, is your character trying desperately to get what she needs. And, of course, failing over and over, at first. The plot is the ACTION that takes your character to her goal, eventually.
I don't know. I spend a lot of time as a writer, before I actually sit down to write, thinking of and perfecting THE HOOK. But that, my friends, is only half the battle.
The real meat of the story is this: What does your character want?
In INDIGO, Corrine has a sixth sense, the indigo touch. There it is: THE HOOK. But that's not enough. What does she need/want? Now there is the story.
The wonderful people at the White Oak Library put on a fabulous launch party for INDIGO! And I just wanted to say thank you to all who came to the event, and especially to Cindy and Natalie for their hard work! I really appreciate it! I didn't get a pic of the cupcakes! They were indigo, sparkly, and glorious! And they had little bookcovers on them!
And on Thursday, I had my first ever signing at the famous Anderson's Bookshop in Naperville. A big thank you to the people at Anderson's for having me, to all my friends and family who came out, as well as a few fans!! Plus, my kids LOVED the bookstore. My oldest said she could spend a thousand dollars there EASY. And I agree.
I'm sure I was saying something oh-so-inspiring. Ha ha.
Thank you to so many people on this book release day:
Caryn Wiseman: You are awesome! Thank you for always, always having such great editorial and professional advice.
Mundie Moms: You are awesome for all you do for authors! I so appreciate it.
Chelsea Eberly and the team at Random House: Thank you for the great cover, the spot-on editorial process, and for getting Corrine's story out to the world!
Egzon Shaqiri: Check out that trailer! It is beautiful. Thank you!
C.K. Kelly Martin: Every writer needs someone to look up to and turn to with questions. Thank you for giving me an ear, excellent advice, and inspiration as well! Not to mention an early read of such a great book, TOMORROW!
Tamora Pierce: Thank you for your beautiful books, your inspiration for thousands of young girls, and for your Indigo blurb. I still can't believe you read my words on a page!!
Readers: Thank you so much! And in thanks, you must go see the debut of the trailer and enter to win a Kindle Fire! Happy INDIGO day, everyone!
http://mundiemom.blogspot.com/2013/10/indigo-by-gina-linko-blog-tour-book.html
This is the very talented Egzon Shaqiri, the creator of the trailer for INDIGO. You will get to see the trailer debut tomorrow, and it is AWESOME! Thanks to Egzon and his talents as a graphic artist. Egzon was nice enough to answer some of my questions about art and creativity and books, so please read below! His answers are so thought-provoking and inspiring. I especially love his advice to students thinking about going into a creative career.
What attracted you to art as a kid growing up? Why do you think art is important for young people?
Growing up, I credit my grandfathers on both sides of my family as the primary individuals that directly influenced and sparked my curiosity in art. One was an Architect who helped me develop problem solving skills and the other is a retired Tailor that helped me see the aesthetic side of art. After immigrating to the United States from my home country of Kosovo at the age of eight, my third grade teacher, Mrs. Ball, chose my drawing as the best artwork of the year. It was such a great feeling that it inspired me to continue making better artwork in pursuit of this fulfilling sensation.
I believe art is important for young people because it helps them realize that their thoughts do hold value and that they can share them with others.
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What is your major and what do you hope to do with your degree?
I’m currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Art & Design with a concentration in Graphic Design and Digital Photography. I hope to be able to use this degree to find a career that allows me to share my acquired skills with the people around the world.
What is your favorite medium to work in and why?
Initially, I was drawn to fine art mediums such as drawing, oil painting, architecture, etc. However, I have slowly transitioned and developed a keen interest in digital mediums including graphics design, photography, video, and web design. If I had to choose a favorite it would have to be videography.
Have you always been a creative person?
Yes, I have always been a creative person but I think everyone is creative; it’s just that some of us just think about a problem longer than others.
What advice do you have for other teens that might want to pursue a creative career?
What are you waiting for?
What are some of your favorite books and why?
Some of my favorite books are by the author Dale Carnegie such as the book entitled How to Win Friends and Influence People because it reflects on the fundamental principles of human nature and how to correctly interact with various people.
Favorite movies and why?
I really enjoy movies that are inspired by true events and one of my favorite movies is A Beautiful Mind starring Russell Crowe as John Forbes Nash.
In honor of Halloween, what do you find scary and why?
Any animal that is bigger than me, because I would be at their mercy if they ever became upset with me.
How was the process in making the trailer for INDIGO? Did you enjoy it? Is it something you might want to do again?
Making the trailer for INDIGO was really fun and educational for me. It was such a great experience and opportunity to work with a real client and be able to use some of the skills that I’m currently acquiring at school. Along the way I learned different tips and techniques that I can use in forthcoming art projects. The whole process was enjoyable mainly due to the wonderful client, Gina Linko, of whom I had the pleasure of working with. She gave me a lot of creative control on this project which is quite uncommon in this industry, and with her guidance we were able to create the final INDIGO trailer. I would definitely do this again especially if all the clients are as awesome as her.
Thank you, Egzon, for sharing with us today on the blog. And for being so complimentary! I definitely LOVED the process of making the trailer with you as well. I think you really nailed the spooky, eerie, New Orleans vibe of the book. The trailer exceeds all of my expectations, and I can't wait for everyone to see it tomorrow on Mundie Moms!
Please check out more of Egzon's work at egzonshaqiri.com and at thecompmagazine.com.
Sparkle wanted to know what was in the box. And so did I! Behold, the actual hardcopies of the FLUTTER paperback. With its supercool new graphic cover. So cool! This is out in stores tomorrow!
But that wasn't it. The UPS had a bunch of boxes for me today! Look at what else came in the mail! My author copies of INDIGO! Actual hardcover, shiny, beautiful books. I am so thankful to get to do this for a living. So incredibly thankful!
So one last photo: the sisters.
It's an exciting time for me with the launch of my second book, INDIGO, coming up quickly. I can't even believe it's almost here. I am going to post the events that I will be doing, and I hope that you will come and join me, so that I can thank you in person for all of your support. It means so much to me!
Anderson's Bookshop at Two Doors East
Thursday, October 24th at 7:00
*You must purchase a copy of INDIGO from Anderson's to attend this signing.
201 W. Normantown Rd. Romeoville, IL 60446
Sunday, October 27th at 2:00
The wonderful people at this library are having me back for a reading, signing, and basically a party! I will have giveaways and food and fun stuff! Plus, you get a free bookmark if you bring a canned good for the St. John Food Pantry.
Wednesday, October 30th at 7:00
This is a teen event! There will be books and signings and a giveaway for an iPod shuffle, and lots of fun stuff!
Hope to see you!
INDIGO comes out in little over a month, and preorders matter to publishers and authors and people in the business of books. These numbers can work in making or breaking a title. So, I am asking you to pretty please with sugar on top order a copy of INDIGO in the next couple of weeks. And hey, look here, it's only $10.79 at Walmart! (What!)
And if you do this, because that would be so nice and it would mean so much to me, and hey, THANK YOU, then I would like to send you a token of my gratitude. I will send you a signed bookmark, as well as enter your name in the giveaway for an iPod shuffle! I'll even let you choose the color. Look at them. Aren't they cute?!
All you have to do to enter is email me at gina (at) ginalinko.com and tell me that you preordered INDIGO and give me your name and address.
And thank you. Seriously.
I am so pleased that INDIGO Is receiving favorable reviews! When I write, I try to write the best story I can, true to the characters, true to myself, and, of course, true to the reader. So when a reader gives a good review, especially a reader with a platform like Kirkus or Booklist, that is so humbling, and so important. And huge thanks to Kirkus and Booklist for working diligently to get books in the hands of teen readers!
Kirkus Reviews
After her younger sister's tragic death, Corrine and her family move from Chicago to their summer vacation home in New Orleans to rebuild their lives, which they quickly realize brings challenges and unexpected blessings. Although Corrine's sister's death was ruled to be cardiac arrest, the 17-year-old is convinced that it was her mysterious, high-voltage touch that killed her sister. Determined not to harm anyone else, Corrine imposes a no-touching rule, which seems to work until she meets Rennick. Rennick is a local teen who, through his family history, is familiar with Corrine's powers and their deadly nature. Together with Rennick, Corrine begins experimenting with her touch. She quickly discovers that although her powers are dangerous, if she can control them--no small feat--then she can provide miraculous healing. Corrine proves to be an engaging and believable narrator, weaving into her story snatches of teen angst, New Orleans vernacular and formal music terminology that is a holdover from her earlier life in Chicago, where she was a serious violinist. Predictably, there is an undeniable sizzle between Rennick and Corrine, which helps to balance some of the supernatural elements and mitigate the fact that the provenance of Corrine's powers is not explained, which makes the text's opening feel slightly undergrounded. A paranormal love story with plenty of spark.
Booklist
After Corrine’s little sister Sophie dies during a storm in Chicago, the family moves to their summer home in New Orleans, hoping for a fresh start. Reaching out to comfort Sophie after the younger girl slipped and fell, Corrine experienced strong flashes of indigo blue and an overwhelming surge of energy—elements she feels killed Sophie, though the death is ruled a freak accident. As a result, she is scared to touch anyone and has withdrawn from her family, friends, sports, and study of classical violin. Into her tightly shut world comes a new student, Rennick, who sees auras and convinces Corrine to use her gifts for healing. A powerful attraction builds between Rennick and Corrine, with plot elements rolling smoothly and predictably, but Linko’s fascination with the afterlife and unexplainable powers elevates what could have been another standard romance to an often moving examination of grief, loss, and acceptance. Violinists will find some of the musical references inaccurate, but hopefully Linko’s depiction of music’s restorative power will compensate.
INDIGO is a book that is very special to me. It is about sixth senses, about auras, about second chances, and about learning to love yourself -- just to name a few.
It's also inspired by a very personal loss and the resilience of the human heart, which I blogged about earlier. So, when you write something that is so very close to your heart, it is difficult at times to send it out into the world and worry about how it's going to be perceived.
Now, I know not everyone will LOVE Indigo, but two authors -- authors I admire so much-- have read it, and not only that, they've loved it enough to blurb it!
C.K. Kelly Martin, a fellow Random House author, of such hits as YESTERDAY and I KNOW IT'S OVER, had this to say about it: "Gina Linko has the touch. Indigo is a compelling mixture of vulnerability and mysticism with a lush romantic core." I mean, can you get a better blurb than that? And I just LOVE Martin's writing, so this really means so much.
And Tamora Pierce (Yes, that Tamora Pierce!!!!) of BEKA COOPER and CIRCLE OF MAGIC fame -- as well as so many other bestsellers -- also read it. *Commence screaming and flailing of arms around my house.* I mean, I am still freaking out that Tamora Pierce read my words on a page. Anyway, she described Corrine's journey as "Romantic, tense, edge-of-your-seat reading--I couldn't put it down!"
So. I have to do something to celebrate this. INDIGO will be out October 22, but if you would like to read it ahead of time, enter the giveaway below! And I will also send you a signed bookmark!
Hello, World!
So what is INDIGO about? This is a question I am getting a lot lately, and it is difficult for me to answer. INDIGO is about Corrine Harlowe, who is seventeen and has just lost her sister in a terrible accident. And Corrine has something going on, something that lights up, churning, surging, coming to life just beneath her rib cage. A power. A life force all its own. Corrine knows it killed her little sister.
But did it? Could this indigo touch be something else entirely? A gift somehow?
This is the basis of the book, the teaser, a quick version of the back-cover copy. But for me, the book is about so many other things. When I write a book, I often start with the hook, like the above copy. Sure. But soon into the brainstorming process, I need to discover what this character is really about.
What kind of journey is she taking emotionally? What is at the crux of this girl, her problems, her life?
So, very quickly, I knew that Corrine and her story would have deep, personal themes, about life and love and loss. About the guilt and responsibility we feel when tragedy strikes, especially to those who we feel protective over, whether it’s our children or our siblings or friends.
INDIGO is about learning how contrary the world is, scary and random, dangerous and dark, how the worst can and does happen to people who don’t deserve it. Yet, they still go on.
Many of them eventually prosper and truly live. Maybe even finding a new, tenuous happiness. Whether it’s the neighbor next door who lost his wife to breast cancer, or the friend struggling against addiction, or the child at school with a terminal disease, we know tragedy. Maybe only from far away.
But some of us know it up close.
And I wanted to write about that. Because I have three beautiful, healthy children, but also, next month marks the nine-year anniversary of my triplets’ birth. They were born prematurely, and although the odds were better than this, both the boys, Ben and Calvin, died within days.
No one should have to bury a child.
Ben had big hands and feet like a puppy dog and a nose like my father’s. Calvin had short buzz-cut hair, and I held them both in my arms as they died. I could do nothing to stop it.
It was unbelievable to me, this dark open maw of grief swallowing me whole. At their funeral, when I walked into the church, and I saw the casket they shared, and my knees buckled.
I don’t think I believed it was real until that moment. I think I was hoping it was all a nightmare, something I could wake up from.
Anyway, of course we figured God – or karma, the universe -- would let our tiny Annika make it, even if our boys were really, truly gone.
Of course, she would get to be our miracle baby. We read to her, sang to her, held her, and watched as she grew stronger in the NICU, even breathing on her own. She had a personality, crying and letting the nurses know when she didn’t like something. She loved her pacifier. She even rubbed the crown of her head like my oldest daughter when she was tired.
But eventually, after weeks of improvement, Annika contracted an infection her underdeveloped immune system couldn’t fight off.
She joined her brothers in heaven, giving us one last gift before she left us. She opened her eyes for the first time, and she looked at us, and she smiled. She was brave and feisty, comforting us in that beautiful, terrible moment.
The time right after her death was black with grief. The heaviness so hard on my heart, I literally felt like I could not draw a big enough breath.
I absolutely drowned in guilt. Had I overdone it while pregnant? Had I not washed the breast-pump well enough and had it given Annika the germs she couldn’t fight off? I went down the, “What if…?” road all the time.
My body failed them. I failed them. They were gone.
My point is this: How do you come back from that?
You don’t, I figured. For a very long time, I just knew I had to endure -- for my older daughter who was alive and needed me.
But people do come back from horrible situations. People are resilient, and as I was writing Corrine’s story, I thought about this a lot. How do we ever get over such tragedy and loss?
How can we move on after a broken heart?
Nine years later, my heart is mended, not whole exactly, but mended. My babies will never be forgotten, but I have healed. I am able to enjoy and fully engage in my life with my three beautiful children. And when I think back to how we ever recovered, well, it’s a miracle really. Neighbors, family, so many people surrounded us with whatever they could: kind words, meals, an ear.
In Corrine’s story, there are many other things at work as well: this strange otherworldly indigo touch, sixth senses, physio-electricity, auras. All kinds of cool sci-fi, speculative stuff that I love to write about.
But the most important thing in Corrine’s story, and my story, and anyone’s who's endured such terrible loss and then found their way out the other side, is this: the magic of the human heart.
Our minds know absolutely, logically that we cannot move on from such a deep, personal loss, but our hearts... They are resilient. And within each of us, in our hearts, buried deep, is a stubborn, tiny egg of hope that will eventually crack open without reason, without cultivation, searching out the good in this world.
Maybe someone reading this needs to hear that. To know that I was once there. I get it.
And I know you won’t really believe what I’m saying, and that’s okay. Just hold on. Don't give up. Things will get better. Your mind may not believe me, but your heart, inside, it already fluttered its wings.
