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Winter Garden on sale!

Monday, February 1, 2010

Hello everyone!


Happy February to you. As you know, there's a lot going on in the old Hannah homestead this month. My favorite novel to date, Winter Garden, is finally coming out tomorrow and I am really excited to hear what you all think of it. One of the interesting things about being a writer is that you never really know how your work is going to be perceived. We spend all these months, or in some cases, years, sitting alone scribbling words that accumulated into a version of the story in our head. Then we hope that the story we wrote resonates with readers, but we don't know until we hear from you. So let me know--the good, the bad, the ugly, and the great. I can take it all, and I learn from it all.



As if having two books coming out in a short period of time isn't exciting enough, I also had the House Parties this past weekend. If you don't know what I'm talking about, you must be new to the blog (welcome!), and you might want to read some of the earlier posts. Anyway, I was lucky enough to get to "crash" one of the parties. This photo is of yours truly and the party hostess, Mitzi. Look at her beautiful smile. She created an absolutely wonderful party--with "fireflies" in mason jars going up the stairs. It gave the entrance a magical feel. And once inside, I got to meet some of Mitzi's friends...


Here's the whole Snohomish Firefly gang. Beth, Linda, Francine, Nancy, Lorraine, and Mitzi. You tell by the smiles that we had a killer time. My friend and fellow author Megan Chance came with me--it was, after all, a girlfriends party--but someone had to take the photo. Thanks, Megan--you rock.




And thanks, of course, to my new friends. You were all so welcoming and warm. I had a blast.


I'd love to hear about some of YOUR house parties, fireflies. How did they go?? For a lot of talk about the parties, and some cool pics, check out my facebook page. There's some great chatter going on over there. :) http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kristin-Hannah/96071972905?ref=ts


Thanks again to everyone who entered the Winter Memories contest. Kim and I are in the process of getting several of them posted on the site. Unfortunately, the upcoming tour is making me nuts with things that need to be done. So, be patient. We haven't forgotten.
Speaking of the tour--here's the link. http://www.kristinhannah.com/content/about_kristin.php?id=Tour%20Dates. I hope to meet some of you on the road. :)
My first event is tonight. THE SAME NIGHT AS LOST????? Yes, I am insane. Thank God for dvr's. I never could figure out how to record to tape in the old days...
And finally, I'm conducting an informal poll: What are you all reading? Looking forward to reading?
I don't know if I'll be posting from the road--given my techie unskills, I rather doubt it--but hopefully I'll be able to read your posts. Talk to you all soon---
aloha,
Krisitn






















































































posted by Kristin at 8:22 PM 15 Comments Links to this post

Six days until 1001 Firefly Lane house parties!!!!

Sunday, January 24, 2010



Hey everyone---

I woke today to the sight of this sunrise outside my window. When you see a sky like this, you just know it's going to be a good day, don't you? I have to admit, I'm not usually an early riser, so maybe I'm missing skies like this a lot. (I'm really more of a sunset girl). But I saw this and then I remembered that the house parties were coming up, and I thought it had to be a good sign.

I don't know how many of you are hostesses, but I've been checking out the house party site in the past few weeks, and I LOVE hearing all the ideas for the parties. There is so much creativity going on out there. Hat parties, pajama parties, seventies-themed parties; there's music and food and fun on the horizon, I can tell. I especially adore the groups that are choosing to wear pink ribbons. It's such a perfect touch for Firefly Lane. As most of you know, breast cancer is a subject that has touched my life on a profound level, so it truly touches me that it has become a part of the parties. Last year, I began a fund to help out in my own small way, and thanks to the fireflies, we raised a lot of money to help women battling breast cancer in outlying areas, and this year, I'm focusing on raising awareness of IBC. All the women wearing pink ribbons to the parties are like warriors, joinging with me. So THANKS!!! You guys rock. And if you'd like to help me make a difference, you know you can go to my site and make a small donation in the name of your party, your group, or anyone whom you'd like to honor. http://www.kristinhannah.com/content/firefly_fund.php

For anyone who hasn't checking out the whole house party scoop, check out http://houseparty.com/celebratingstories. There's a lot of fun ideas there and some really great women. I especially love all the photographs that have been posted. I need to find a way to put them on my site...

And now, onto the Winter Memories contest. I have read all of the entries, and I have to say, I am blown away. Once again, you guys have have touched my heart with your personal stories. As a writer, I spend a good part of my life in the hazy world of make believe, and it is so wonderful to be grounded again by honest, heartfelt memories. I am so sad that I can't call every single Winter Memory author a winner and send her a signed copy of Winter Garden. But there were simply too many entries for that. So, what I've done is pick two winners (and yes one is a firefly) to whom I'm going to send my last two advanced reading copies. Because I simply loved so many of the entries, though, I've also chosen several Honorable Mentions who will recieve signed copies of another of my recent titles. To everyone else, I'm going to send a signed book plate.

Thanks again so so much for taking the time to enter this contest and share small pieces of your life with me. As soon as Kim and I can figure out how to do it, we're going to post quite a few of the essays on the site, so keep your eye out for them. You know what's really interesting, is how much the essays have in common. We all, it seems, remember snow days and Christmas mornings and being with our loved ones. That, most of all. Our best memories all surround times spent with our families. It's a great reminders to make memories whenever and wherever we can. Even though our families some times drive us crazy, they also complete and uplift us.

The winners are--drum roll, please--Patricia Tilton and Naomi Bliss. Thanks for two truly touching Winter Memories. Honorable mentions go out to Julie Benson, Brenda Ivester, Rebecca Hamarode, Kim Griffith, Nancy Gillingham, Nicole Rosati, Karen Haney, Kelly Branyik, Kay Harms, Virgina Camden, Dawn Kleckner, and Sharon MacDonald. A special shout out goes to my cousin, Leslie, who slipped in a Winter Memory that included me. :) I will mail out the advance reading copies tomorrow. So, enjoy! The other books will go out as soon as Kim and I can get them all in the mail. With the tour coming up, things are a little crazy around here, so I hope you'll be patient with us.


And now, because Kim will come in and yell at me if I don't do this (she really does, too--you should see her when she's mad), I want to tell you all that True Colors went up to number 5 on the New York Times list. Wow! What a champagne moment. Thanks to all of you who made it possible....and to those of you who bought and read Kim's book, Lake Magic, another big thanks. She made the Barnes and Noble romance bestseller list--quite a feat for a first novel. Brava, Kim!

LOST is only a few days away....I just had to say that. :)

And what do we all think about the changes on American Idol now that it's actually coming? Looking forward to Ellen?

The parties aren't the only countdown going on, btw. Don't forget that Winter Garden comes out 2/2 and I am DYING to hear what you all think. This is my favorite book to date and I really wonder if you'll all agree. And I hope to meet as many of you as possible on my upcoming tour. I'll be in Portland, Oregon, Chicago, Atlanta, NYC, Long Island, and Ann Arbor. The complete listing is at http://www.kristinhannah.com/content/about_kristin.php?id=Tour%20Dates. If you live close, come see me, and be sure and tell me you read the blog!

That's all for now, I guess. Aloha from the Pacific Northwest==

Kristin

posted by Kristin at 12:20 PM 18 Comments Links to this post

True Colors hits the New York Times best seller list!!!!

Friday, January 15, 2010


Hey everyone---


THANKS SO MUCH!! Honestly, I have the best readers in the world. And as if that isn't great enough news---and it certainly is--there's even more. (I guess when it rains, it pours). Firefly Lane was listed as one of the one hundred best selling books of 2009. Again, my heartfelt thanks go out to all of you who read the book and recommended it to your friends.




I've been getting lots of emails and facebook comments from people who have been chosen as house party hostesses. I'd love to know how many fireflies were chosen. How many of you are having parties on the 30th? What have you planned for the festivities? I hope you'll send us some photos of the big night!


Now, I'm putting the finishing touches on my edits for the 2011 novel. As soon as I finish, I'll check back with a new post. To be honest, when I'm this close to the end, i have trouble concentrating on anything except the book. My mind is full of random sentences/motivations/plot points.


Talk to you all soon,


Aloha,



Kristin

posted by Kristin at 9:31 PM 9 Comments Links to this post

Tour dates are in! Hope to see you there--

Thursday, January 7, 2010




Hey everyone---

My tour dates for Winter Garden and True Colors are finally in. Check out the latest news for dates and cities and stores. I hope to see you all there!
And here are the book covers I mentioned in the last post but couldn't manage to show you!
aloha,
Kristin






posted by Kristin at 1:10 PM 12 Comments Links to this post

True Colors arrives in paperback!

Monday, December 28, 2009


Hey everyone---

Welcome to 2010. Even as I write those words, it seems amazing to me, remarkable. A year worthy of sci fi movies and futuristic novels. To be honest, I have been putting off this blog because I kept thinking that I ought to have something important to say, something inspiring or fascinating or at least interesting. Well...I've been waiting and thinking and nothing has come to me.

At first, I thought it was because of the holidays. Then I blamed it on the aftermath of the holidays--you know what I mean: the cleaning, the packing, the driving, the un-decorating. But today I finally understood the root of my malaise: it's publication time. In the next eight weeks, more than two years of work will basically come home to roost. I know what you're saying to yourselves right now. She's freaked out by the publication of her book? How can that be? Isn't this exactly the day she's been looking forward to?

It's certainly the common understanding that we authors live to see our books on the shelves. You probably think that the day we see our work in a book store is pure magic. And it is. It absolutely is. But to be totally honest, when you've been writing for a long time--and this September will mark nineteen years of publication for me--you discover a lot of ups and downs in the career. Good reviews, bad reviews, good sales, bad sales, good covers, bad covers. It's like this giant pendulum that keeps swinging to and fro, taking you along for the ride.

I am not a neurotic person; neither am I pessimistic nor nervous. But every book turns me into Sybil for a day or two. I am certain one minute that the book I have slaved over will break all sales records and lodge firmly in readers' hearts...that the word of mouth will be overwhelming. That upswing of optimism can last for a few minutes, maybe even an hour, and then the pendulum will swing the other way. I imagine not just bad sales and bad word of mouth, but a career-ending backlash. I suddenly question every word I've written and every plot choice I've made. I stay away from the computer and the book stores.

As I said: Sybil. My family and friends love this time. :)

Fortunately, I have a short attention span. I spend a few hours careening through moods and then I'm done. I put aside the whole question of sales and I focus on what I really care about: writing. For years, that alone has saved me: the next book. And I'm sure it will be true this year as well, but you know what? There's something else out there that has kept me on an even keel this year--and it's you guys. I can't tell you how much it helps to hear from readers. For most of my career, I huddled in my own silent world--I didn't put my address out there for fan mail or try to communicate with people. I just sat at my little desk and wrote my words and piled them up and edited them into manuscripts. Now, though, through the firefly blog--and to a lesser but still important extent, Facebook--I get to actually hear from the people who read my books. And amazingly, a lot of you love them.

How cool is that? So, thanks for taking the time to let me know what you think about my work. I love hearing it--the good, the bad, the great. (Okay, okay, especially the great--but really, I'm good with all of it). As you read True Colors in trade paperback and next month, Winter Garden, I'll look forward to your reviews and posts and thoughts, and yes, your criticisms. All of it makes me a better, stronger writer.

Speaking of making me a better writer, I wanted to let you all know that mine is not the only publication day that I'm celebrating this month. As most of you know, I've been critique partners with Megan Chance for twenty-two years. Wow. Just saying that out loud is a shock to the system. We first met and began our journey as friends and writers when my son was three months old--and now he's a senior in college. Yikes. Basically, I have never written a word that she hasn't read--and probably edited. :) and vice versa. Anyway, her latest novel, Prima Donna, is out on book shelves this week. It's a gritty, erotic historical novel that will keep you riveted from beginning to end. Book clubs will love it. Check out her website at MeganChance.com. I'm trying to post a photo of the cover, but it isn't working. Grrrrr....
And then, of course, we can't forget Kim's book, Lake Magic, is out this month. :) Kim is out doing a bunch of fun stuff this week, but when she gets back, we'll get her to post a cover photo and a link to her brand, spanking new website. Go, Kim!
Last but not least are the house parties. Have you all checked out the site? Wow is all I can say. There actually ARE going to be 1001 Firefly Lane/friendship parties on Jan. 30th. I can't wait to hear all about them. How many of you are hostesses???
Let me know!
Aloha for now,
Kristin
ps: the photo is of my family skiing on the day after Christmas. What snow we had!




















posted by Kristin at 10:11 PM 6 Comments Links to this post

Happy holidays, all--

Sunday, December 20, 2009


Is it just me, or has this been the busiest holiday season ever? And how is it that it crept up on me? I mean, I know it's coming, and I spend several months thinking about the upcoming holidays, and looking forward to them, but then it seems as if in one day--the day after Thanksgiving, in fact--I go from anticipating the holidays to being behind. Every year I swear that I'm going to shop ahead and wrap ahead and bake ahead, and then what happens? It sneaks up on me AGAIN and I spend the first two weeks of December in a panic. I try to balance the baking (every years I'm going to make several dozen cookies and a pie or two), the shopping, the wrapping (the last presents wrapped are lucky to get scotch tape; forget a nice bow and ribbon), the decorating, and--always--the book.

Did I ever tell you that I finish my book on or about December 1st every year? The first draft, that is. And this year was an exception only in that I finished on about the 15th and then had to do a rapid fire edit (cutting about fifty pages) so that I could send it to my blessed, sainted critique partner, Megan Chance. I figured it was better to cut the pages myself before she could tell me it was s...l...o...w. :) And since I've written about Megan and our critiquing before, I'm including a photo of us together. It was taken at our recent writers luncheon.


Also, a little fyi, Megan's new book is coming out in January. PRIMA DONNA is a really wonderful, erotic, atmospheric historical novel set in old Seattle. Obviously, I'm biased, but she is one of my favorite people/writers and this is a fabulous book.



And now, onto the really big news, which you all already know about: the house parties. I have to say, I am stunned, amazed, and humbled by the response to the parties. Over six thousand women signed up to hostess parties in the first few days. More than 1200 signed up in the first day alone. Honestly, when I heard about the idea, I wondered if we'd be able to find 1,000 women who would be interested in having Firefly Lane parties. Shows what I know. I want to deeply thank my publisher, especially Lisa Senz, for the hard work and imagination it took to put this whole thing together. Check out http://www.houseparty.com/celebratingstories. They've upated the party information and added all kinds of cool stuff on there. Hostesses can chat back and forth, and there's a map showing where the parties are. I sure hope that any of you who are lucky enough to be hostesses will send photographs to me at the official email address on the site. I'd love to post them.

Well, I need to go start packing the car for the big ski trip. Presents, food, clothing, ski equipment, and don't forget the cat. It's a good old fashioned road trip, including sing alongs. :)
And don't think I've forgotten my own top ten list. I haven't. But I have a huge TBR pile that I will be diving into tomorrow, so I'm going to hold off on the list until I've finished some of the books that's I've been looking forward to.

My very best wishes to all of you and your families. May you find and remember the joy of the season.


Ho ho ho




Kristin

posted by Kristin at 6:32 PM 24 Comments Links to this post

Holiday Countdown

Wednesday, December 9, 2009


Hey everyone--


Well, it finally happened. Winter came to the Pacific Northwest. Not a in a big, white snowstorm kind of way, but baby, it's cold outside. Cold and crisp and absolutely beautiful. It makes it easy to think about fun family get togethers. And as soon as I get my shopping done, I'm definitely going to start preparing for some family fun. I'm especially excited because this year--for the first time in forever--we're going to get to share Christmas morning with my dad and his wife and my brother and his family. Woo hoo! We're all going to spend about five days at a ski lodge in Northern Idaho. Hot cocoa, board games, sledding, skiing, and sharing memories. What could be better than that? Oh, and my son is bringing his beautiful girlfriend home from college for the first time. Honestly, I feel incredibly blessed.
The photo, btw, is from my bedroom window at the lodge. Can't wait!

Until then, of course, there's so MUCH to do. As you guys know, I've got books coming out in early January and early February, and that means that there are a million little promotional things to do. Honestly, I feel like I'm being nibbled to death by ducks. :) And you KNOW how disorganized I am. And worse than that, I'm obsessed with writing. I just love writing my books and I'd rather sit down and write pages than do almost anything else. So as I write, the cupboards and fridge slowly go bare, the laundry piles up, and the promotional ideas fade away.

But--and drum roll, please---I just finished the first draft of my book for 2011. Now, a first draft is a long long way from a finished book, but its still a certain kind of end. I can put that book aside for two weeks and focus on everything else in my life. Like...I'm going to make homemade pasta for dinner tonight...and I'm going to go see Brothers at the theater...and I'm going to send out a newsletter.


Thank goodness for my publisher, who has been great at picking up my slack. These parties that they've put together are looking SO fun. I really wish I could come to all of them. I'd love to be a fly on the wall to hear what women are saying. :) And hey, if you've been thinking that you want to host a party but haven't gotten around to signing up, I'd say you should do it quickly. They've had a surprisingly big response and spots are filling up fast. I think Dec. 15 is the deadline, so if you want to have a chance to win 12 copies of Firefly Lane, 2 copies of True Colors, and a hot off the press copy of Winter Garden, sign up now. Don't worry if you don't know eleven women--I'm sure it could be a great way to meet people. A sign at your local bookstore or library would probably introduce you to some other great women-readers in your community. And of course, if you have a party, or attend one, plan to send me photos!




And now, in another part of the forest, I say we come up with a Firefly Top Ten list for the year. What do you say? I'd love to hear your thoughts on the best books, movies, television shows, and fashions of the year.


Happy holidays to everyone. Let's keep up the thoughts and prayers for each other.


Aloha,

Kristin

posted by Kristin at 2:22 PM 27 Comments Links to this post