Pictures!

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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.  

I'm sure I was saying something oh-so-inspiring.  Ha ha.  

A Post of Gratitude!

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 

 

 

The Real Thing

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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!

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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.   

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Launch and Events for INDIGO!

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. 

 

White Oak Library

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.

 

Orland Park Library

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!

 

Preorders and Prizes for INDIGO!

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?!  

 

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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.   

 

Reviews and Stuff

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 Blurbs and A Giveaway

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!

 

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Indigo by Gina Linko

Indigo

by Gina Linko

Giveaway ends September 14, 2013.

See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Hello, World!

What is INDIGO about?

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.

 

Blurbs for the FLUTTER paperback!

VOYA and Booklist are two super-important publications that do the important work of getting books into young people's hands, and on the inside cover of the FLUTTER paperback, both of these journals have awesome things to say about the my book.  And that just sort of freaks me out because it is so wonderful!  
 
So thank you VOYA and Booklist!   

 

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FLUTTER paperback cover!

The cover for the FLUTTER paperback is here, and it is gorgeous!  I absolutely love the new direction that Random House and Designer Heather have taken with this cover.  So simple.  So cute and romantic, yet also giving a nod to the heart of the book and the seizures that Emery has to endure, the strange results in her EEG testing, and what it is that her brain can do! 

Check it out! 

The paperback will be available on October 8th, and you can preorder now for only $9.99!  Click here to order.  

  

School Visits

Last week I was lucky enough to be a guest speaker at the Bolingbrook Middle School's Writer's Conference, and the kids there were just awesome.  Thank you to the wonderful teachers at the Valley View School District for asking me to speak.

The students involved in this conference were chosen for their accomplishments and interest in writing.  I mean, is this awesome or what?  To have a school district celebrate writing in this way.  These students asked intriguing questions, laughed at my stupid jokes, and talked about books and characters that they loved.  ANd while I was giving my talk on generating ideas, we had some really good conversations about things that work in YA novels and things that don't, and let me tell you, I was INSPIRED.

It is such a rare thing to get to be surrounded by people that love the process of writing, so I was just geeked out over the whole experience.  These kids were so smart, so ready to conquer the world.  I can't wait to read their best sellers in a few years.

Here's a picture with me talking with my hands too much.  (And note to self, I keep wearing the same outfit to all my speaking engagements.  Change it up!)

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Next up: Downers Grove Bel Aire!  Can't wait to meet you all!

Girl Power

I've been reading a lot of really good books lately, and one theme I have been loving is the young, female protagonist in adult literature.  Not that there aren't a lot of these protagonists, but just that these books -- and these authors-- are being heralded as SERIOUS.   As LITERARY.  

Because too often, I feel like the young female as protagonist doesn't get her due.  Critics and reviewers want to give it some label like chick lit or something that devalues it.  Marks it as fluff.  However, if a novel has a male protagonist, a young one in his teens, such as THE ART OF FIELDING or CATCHER IN THE RYE, well, of course, that book is hailed as the NEXT BIG THING!  Don't get me wrong, I loved those books, but we need to see young females as important as well, as having a lot to offer to the world of serious literature.

Well, these books below are getting the respect they deserve, and they have young female protagonists.  These book have universal, coming-of-age-type plots, and they are being lauded as the REAL DEAL, and I am so glad.  Being a young girl, having one as an MC, these things do not automatically equal frivolous and supercilious.  

Okay, enough with my rant.

Tell the Wolves I'm Home  by Carol Rifka Brunt

Such a real, authentic teen voice.  And a heartbreaking relationship between sisters, set in the 80s.  It's just a study in family relationships and what it means to grow up and know your parents and elders as people.  I loved it.

 

The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson

This book was spellbinding.  Just the kind of book I love, realistic, contemporary, with an edge of sci-fi.  Oooh, it was creepy and cool, hitting a little too close to home at times.  And the narrator was a teen girl, with a real, interesting, three-dimensional voice.  I think I just read this is getting made into a movie.  I hope so!

 

Swamplandia!  by Karen Russell

Just so good.  The setting is a character in this book, and it is done so well.  The swamp itself alienating the kids works on so many levels.  The narrator's voice in this one, as she grows up, losing her innocence, I can't think of a better character arc, better writing.  This book is HOW IT'S DONE.

 

Attention Book Bloggers!

AAAAH!  I'm having technology problems!  Several of you have let me know that the google.doc link below is behaving badly.  If that is the case, please just email me the following info:  Your name, Your website, Number of page loads in a week, Whether or not you will accept an e-galley, Your email address.  

Email me at gina (at) ginalinko.com.


And I'll make sure you get entered into that form!  Thank you!

 

I am told that INDIGO will soon be available on Netgalley, and if you would like to request an e-ARC, please click on the link and fill out the quick form.  You will then be able to access INDIGO as soon as it is available!  

Here is the link:  ARC request form for INDIGO

 

I owe so many book bloggers and reviewers so much for their time and efforts in reviewing FLUTTER!  I have found the YA book blogging community to be so supportive.  It is really overwhelming and just AWESOME what you bloggers do for spreading the word about YA books.  Anyway, I hope that this form can make it easier for you to get your hands on an early copy of INDIGO!  


Also, you can always email me at gina (at) ginalinko.com with any questions or problems.


Thank you! 

Goodreads INDIGO Giveaway!

Would you like an ARC of INDIGO?  I have one up for grabs on Goodreads.  Enter below!

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Indigo by Gina Linko

Indigo

by Gina Linko

Giveaway ends April 05, 2013.

See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

A gift?

A curse?

A moment that changes everything. . . .

Caught in an unexpected spring squall, Corrine's first instinct is to protect her little sister Sophie after a nasty fall. But when Corrine reaches out to comfort her sister, the exact opposite occurs. Her touch--charged with an otherworldly force and bursting with blinding indigo color--surges violently from Corrine to her sister. In an instant, Sophie is dead. From that moment on, Corrine convinces herself that everyone would be better off if she simply withdrew from life.

When her family abruptly moves to New Orleans, Corrine's withdrawal is made all the easier. No friends. No connections. No chance of hurting anyone. But strange things continue to happen around her in this haunting,  mystical city. And she realizes that her power cannot be ignored, especially when Rennick, a talented local artist with a bad-boy past, suggests another possibility: Corrine might have the touch. An ability to heal those around her. But knowing what happened to her sister, can Corrine trust her gift?

 

Indigo ARC Contest (coming soon!)

Happy Valentine's Day!

And because I love you all so much... I am putting together a very fancy contest!  You will be able to win these beautiful signed ARCs of INDIGO.

 

And check out the exciting teaser:

A gift?

A curse?

A moment that changes everything. . . .

Caught in an unexpected spring squall, Corrine's first instinct is to protect her little sister Sophie after a nasty fall. But when Corrine reaches out to comfort her sister, the exact opposite occurs. Her touch--charged with an otherworldly force and bursting with blinding indigo color--surges violently from Corrine to her sister. In an instant, Sophie is dead. From that moment on, Corrine convinces herself that everyone would be better off if she simply withdrew from life.

When her family abruptly moves to New Orleans, Corrine's withdrawal is made all the easier. No friends. No connections. No chance of hurting anyone. But strange things continue to happen around her in this haunting,  mystical city. And she realizes that her power cannot be ignored, especially when Rennick, a talented local artist with a bad-boy past, suggests another possibility: Corrine might have the touch. An ability to heal those around her. But knowing what happened to her sister, can Corrine trust her gift?

 

I mean, aren't you just dying to find out what happens to Corrine?  I love this story, and it is so close to my heart.  More on why and my inspirations later.  Anyway.

You can win an INDIGO ARC in my contest, and you will be able to read this MONTHS before the October 22 release date. 

And if that isn't cool enough, you can also win bookmarks, which I don't have a picture of YET.

And you can win this:

 

Yes, you can win an iPod Shuffle!  I'll even let you choose the color!

Well, some fabulous book bloggers are going to help me out with this giveaway, and I will give you all the details next week.  BUT...  one way to get MANY entries into the drawing is to buy FLUTTER!  So get on that if you already haven't!!!

If you buy FLUTTER, you could win INDIGO! 

Stay tuned!!!

Indigo ARCs

These exist.  

 

Commence my heart beating out of my chest and my face melting off because of the awesomeness. 

 

I mean, they're actually letting me have another book out?!  One wasn't too much, world?  I am so grateful.  An embarrassment of riches for me today.  I LOOOOVe this book so much.

More on the plot, my inspirations, and who Corrinne Harlowe is on this awesome/creepy/cool cover later.

Oh, wait.  One more pic.  Of the sisters.