I wrote Lock and Key while I was pregnant, and edited it in the last few months before my daughter was born. Writing and editing is never that easy for me, and when you factor in the hormones and all the other fun stuff that comes along with carrying a baby, it was quite a wild ride. Suffice to say, I was more than ready to take a big, long break from writing to focus on being a mom. Or so I thought.
About three months after she was born, though, this idea started to come to me, bubbling up in my sleep-deprived mind. I was up at all hours, feeding the baby, trying to sleep or trying to stay awake, and it got me thinking about the night, and how it can seem so long or so short, depending on what you have waiting for you in the morning. I’d look out my window at three or four a.m.—times I was never coherent before motherhood—see a light on in the distance, and wonder who else was up, and why. There was a whole other world at night, one I’d been completely unaware of, and it made me start thinking about the people who chose to live in it, and how they found themselves there. That’s where Auden’s story began.
Some books are incredibly hard to write. Most are, actually. But this one, for me, was a little escape once in a while, and I was more grateful for it than I expected. I wrote Along for the Ride in my daughter’s room, while she slept downstairs, and in the guestroom, while she babbled to the babysitter. I stole half hours here, afternoons there, taking what I could get and using it to get more, and then more, on the page. And when I got stuck, I’d often look out the window and see one of my husband’s friends go zooming by on a bike, taking flight on one of the dirt jumps in my backyard. It was a crazy and chaotic way to write a book, and not at all the kind of structured, methodical approach I’d always used before. And you know what? Somehow, it just worked.
So I might be surprised to find myself here, with a new novel, so soon after the last one. But more than anything, I am grateful. This is the story I was clearly ready to tell. I can’t wait for you to hear it.
Special Stuff
* My review for Along for the Ride (liked this one!)
* The community and the summer promo promo put together by Penguin to celebrate a Summer of Sarah. Go on Sarah-Land (http://sarah-land.ning.com) in order discuss Sarah's book, enter contests to win signed books, Lock & Key necklaces and other goodies! It's all sorts of fun for people who just love Sarah.
* Another chance to win Along for the Ride (this time on Sarah-Land)
* For people who want to know more about the town of Colby, where Sarah's books are set when they're not set in Lakeview, check out Sarah's video on it.
* A cool badge like the one below to add to your websites - click here to make your own!
Visit Sarah-land
Giveaway Rules
To enter this giveaway, please leave a comment answering one of the following questions (just one is enough!):
What was your favorite Sarah Dessen novel & why?
Who is your favorite Dessen character & why?
If you've never read a Sarah book (what!!), tell us how the heck did you manage that!
Extras:
+ 1 if you link to this contest (if you tweet, use #sarahland)
++1 if you link to the contest up on Sarah-Land when you link to mine (located here)
+ 1 if you join/already are a member of Sarah-Land
+ 1 if you link to Sarah-Land
Please leave as many comments as you have entries. Like, for example, if you enter and then do three extras, that's 1 + 3 = 4 comments.
US only. You have until the 31st to enter! Good luck!
42 comments:
Thanks for the giveaway!
My favorite Sarah Dessen novel is probably The Truth About Forever. I just love Wes :)
That's 1 entry for me
readingaddict63@aol.com
Reading Addict
My favorite Sarah Dessen novel is Just Listen, because I love Annabel and her relationship with her family.
+1 for me! :)
xxelliexox@yahoo.com
I love this contest, especially since it isn't in paperback until NEXT year!
Anyway, my favorite Dessen novel is a tie between Keeping the Moon and Just Listen. I think I just really identified with the main girl (I forget her name, bad I know) in Moon. Just Listen was the Dessen book that made me a fan. I'd read This Lullaby and wasn't super impressed until picking up Just Listen on a whim when I was with my dad at Target and he said I could choose one book!
I'm already a member of Sarah-land.
I've never read a Sarah Dessen novel because I've never heard of her, and I've never heard anyone mention her or her books before.
iii.141592653589793238462643383@gmail.com
My favorite book is Just Listen, I really connected with Annabel... and I just really love Owen:)
Guess what, Reviewer X? You got an award =)
http://nova-psych.blogspot.com/2010/08/versatile-blogger.html
DEXTER from my favorite Dessen book, This Lullaby. Why? Because he's flawed and real and adorable. He's clumsy and sweet and perfect. :)
Of course I also love Wes, he's too gorgeous not to. But Dexter beats him on the real factor.
yabliss AT gmail DOT com
What was your favorite Sarah Dessen novel & why?
"The Truth About Forever" because I read it at a time I was facing a loss, and I learned to cope alongside Macy. And, yes, of course, it fueled summer day dreams about a gorgeous smart boy to play "Truth" with :)
ksmiley2[at]kent[dot]edu
What was your favorite Sarah Dessen novel & why?
This lullaby because Remy is one of the best love-interests in YA.
Who is your favorite Dessen character & why?
Remy - for the same reason as above.
I'm alread a Sarah-land member
My favorite Dessen character hands down is Owen Armstrong from Just Listen because he's just so honest and caring...and he sounds reaaly cute too.
My favorite Dessen book has definitely been The Truth About Forever, with Just Listen right behind it. Those two books are written so beautifully and realistically - they are amazing.
booksobsession(at)gmail(dot)com
+1 Posted on my sidebar at http://booksobsession.blosgpot.com
booksobsession(at)gmail(dot)com
My favorite Dessen character is Auden because I could really relate to her and the adventures she has during the night. I relate to her character when she talks about missing out in high school because I also missed out on prom and school dances and such.
:)
I just posted a comment about this contest on twitter!
http://twitter.com/shahiramolai
+1
I am already a member on Sarah-Land and have been since the beginning of the summer!
+1
Just tweeted about sarah-land.com! Does that count for the fourth extra?
http://twitter.com/shahiramolai
+1
p.s. my email is shahira21@yahoo.com
I don't understand the second extra but I linked from sarah-land to your contest so does that count??
I hope so! :)
++1
shahira21@yahoo.com
Just Listen was my favorite Sarah Dessen Novel. It's my favorite because I loooove music. Owen sounds great because he is obsessed with music too!
maya_2005_@hotmail.com
I am already a member of sarah-land. I just recently joined.
here is the link to my page. http://sarah-land.ning.com/profile/MariaMemon
+1
My name is Yasmeen! My email is yaskllc@hotmail.com!
I love ALL Sarah Dessen books because they are all so good! I don't think I can choose a favorite. :(
But the most recent one, along for the ride, was really good! I liked Eli because he is mysterious and a bmx rider!
+1 because im a member on sarah-land:)
my name is yasmeen yousuf on there!
So, I'm pretty sure that I've never read a Sarah Dessen book. I know, wth?! But, I think since I've been banned from my local library for having too many overdue fines, I've been missing out on a lot of good books. (I only just read Hunger Games)
twigerina[at]hotmail[dot]com
I think my favorite would be a tie between The Truth About Forever and Just Listen. Both of the main characters are really great and I love the guys too!
+1 for me!
twilightforever.edward at gmail dot com
My name is Saba and I'm of the unfortunate group of people who have not yet read Sarah Dessen.
I know, crazy right?
My sister is OBSESSED and she's been telling me to read them so I'll have to get on that soon. :)
vokalchick AT gmail DOT com
+1 for being a member on sarah-land! That's also where I hear about how great the books are! :)
link to my page: http://sarah-land.ning.com/profile/Saba
+1 for tweeting about this contest!
www.twitter.com/sabamolai
I have a tie for my favorite Dessen novel. I really love This Lullaby and The Truth About Forever. The characters, the stories and the messages are great in both novels.
melodiousrevelry (at) gmail (dot) com
+1 already a member at Sarah-land
http://sarah-land.ning.com/profile/TinaB
+1 for tweeting about sarah-land!
www.twitter.com/sabamolai
Hi,
My favourite one of Sarah Dessen's is probably 'The Truth About Forever'. Why? Because for me, it's perfect. I love the plot and all the characters and I've read it about 4 times and I never get bored. And you just HAVE to love Wes!
rebecca-books@hotmail.com
And I have an account on Sarah-Land.
And I just posted a post about the contest on my own blog:
http://rebecca-books.blogspot.com/2010/08/okay.html
And I have Tweeted it. Phew. Thanks. Great contest :D
https://twitter.com/rebeccabooks
im madii & i love sarah dessen !!
dexter is my fav character bcz he isnt perfect and so sweet !
wes is my second fav though !
my email is
kashdfw @ YAHOO! .com
madii here !!
just signed up 4 sarah land !
request is pending :]]
http://sarah-land.ning.com/main/index/pending
I really like Wes from The Truth About Forever. He's cute and artistic! I just absolutely fell in love with him when I read that book! *swoon*
~Briana
thebookpixie[at]yahoo[dot]com
Just signed up at Sarah-Land.
~Briana
thebookpixie[at]yahoo[dot]com
What was your favorite Sarah Dessen novel & why?
My favorite Dessen novel will always be The Truth about Forever.
It was my first Sarah Dessen novel, and I loved it from the get-go. It was everything I knew and everything I could relate to. Macy was, in pretty much every sense, me. Or at least how I saw myself... I loved Macy's transformation, nd how she slowly but surely starts to live after her loss. It was a moving book, and I enjoy it thoroughly.
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