a spy in the house of love

Hello! SO! As promised, I’m hosing a Tumblr-only giveaway...

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 13:49:43 -0400

Hello! SO! As promised, I’m hosing a Tumblr-only giveaway for a signed hardcover of THE DARKEST MINDS, one of the character totes, and one of the few ARCs of NEVER FADE that I have. (I’ll be hosting other contests on Facebook and Twitter as we get closer to the release date.) The only catch is, you have to work a little bit to enter :)

- First thing’s first, you need to reblog this post (sharing is caring), which will get you one entry
.- For an extra five entries, you need to post something TDM-related and tag it here on Tumblr as The Darkest Minds and TDM Contest (and any other YA Lit related tag you want to use, but definitely those first two). This can be anything from a graphic, a photo of you and your copy, your favorite quote, an image that reminds you of the characters, your playlist for the book, a song that you think works with the story, etc.

That’s it! To give people time to be crafty, the contest is going to run until July 5th. Yes, I will (gulp) ship internationally to be fair. Enter away, and send me an ask if you have any questions.

aseaofquotes: Alexandra Bracken, The Darkest Minds Submitted...

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 11:42:22 -0400

aseaofquotes:

Alexandra Bracken, The Darkest Minds

Submitted by rayaaannnn.

We have this big animatronic Poky Little Puppy in the office...

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 20:17:20 -0400

We have this big animatronic Poky Little Puppy in the office that just sort of… migrates around. He was in a small conference room for a while reading a newspaper (moving around, which made it extra creepy to catch out of the corner of your eye), in the waiting area, etc. He disappeared for a while, only to fall on me when I opened our party supply closet last week.

Like staring into the sun hot.

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 17:26:07 -0400

Like staring into the sun hot.

Photo

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 15:14:46 -0400

"I regret that it takes a life to learn how to live."

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 14:49:20 -0400

“I regret that it takes a life to learn how to live.”

- Jonathan Safran Foer

A little Henry for your Monday.

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 12:05:31 -0400

A little Henry for your Monday.

annajarzab: thatsnotwhatiheard: adidasfactory: She waited 9...

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 10:34:54 -0400

annajarzab:

thatsnotwhatiheard:

adidasfactory:

She waited 9 months for her moment

Well played.

This feels both too easy and too late.

This is also fake…

Hi Ms Bracken! So I finished TDM a couple of months ago and I have to say I'm still dealing with the many feels and emotions that the ending caused me. I got my friend to read it and she never cries about books, ever. Yet when she came to the ending of TDM, she sobbed for an hour! I'd just like to say that your words and writing are so incredibly powerful and strong, I can't wait for Never Fade. Thankyou for your writing. P.S: Did you have a song/s that inspired the titles of your books?

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 09:08:00 -0400

Thank you so much for reading! While there wasn’t a song that inspired THE DARKEST MINDS and NEVER FADE, the original title of the first book—BLACK IS THE COLOR—was inspired by a line in this Bob Dylan song (not the folk song Black is the Colour of my True Love’s Hair).

I’m a-goin’ back out ’fore the rain starts a-fallin’
I’ll walk to the depths of the deepest black forest
Where the people are many and their hands are all empty
Where the pellets of poison are flooding their waters
Where the home in the valley meets the damp dirty prison
Where the executioner’s face is always well hidden
Where hunger is ugly, where souls are forgotten
Where black is the color, where none is the number
And I’ll tell it and think it and speak it and breathe it
And reflect it from the mountain so all souls can see it
Then I’ll stand on the ocean until I start sinkin’
But I’ll know my song well before I start singin’
And it’s a hard, it’s a hard, it’s a hard, it’s a hard
It’s a hard rain’s a-gonna fall

LOL I was literally staring either at Henry's god-like facial structure or Amy Adams hair too in Man of Steel! I think what is so endearing about Henry is that he has a kind face, and such a humble personality (at least in the interviews I youtube :P ;D). Usually men who are gorgeously attractive like that are either stuck up or a bit of a jerk...but he isn't... he just seems genuinely sweet, and I think thats very refreshing to see...

Sun, 16 Jun 2013 19:16:50 -0400

YES! I think what’s most endearing about him is how embarrassed and bashful he gets when people fawn over him—I don’t think it’s him putting on an act, either. Based on the interviews with him I’ve seen, he wasn’t a super attractive kid (his school nickname was “Fat Cavill”!!) and I think he’s pretty into “geek” culture, too. Honestly, I’m a little worried for him… I hope he’s ready for the crazy fangirls.

HARD TIMES COME AGAIN NO MORE - Iron & Wine Let us pause in...

Sun, 16 Jun 2013 17:39:14 -0400

HARD TIMES COME AGAIN NO MORE - Iron & Wine

Let us pause in life’s pleasures and count its many tears,
While we all sup sorrow with the poor;
There’s a song that will linger forever in our ears;
Oh hard times come again no more.

Tis the song, the sigh of the weary,
Hard Times, hard times, come again no more
Many days have you lingered around my cabin door;
Oh hard times come again no more.

“My father didn’t tell me how to live; he lived, and...

Sun, 16 Jun 2013 17:33:00 -0400

“My father didn’t tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it.”

― Clarence Budington Kelland

history meme ∙ 7 Pairings/Friendships (1/7) Johnny Cash &...

Sun, 16 Jun 2013 16:11:17 -0400

history meme ∙ 7 Pairings/Friendships (1/7) Johnny Cash & June Carter

There’s unconditional love there. You hear that phrase a lot but it’s real with me and her [June Carter]. She loves me in spite of everything, in spite of myself. She has saved my life more than once. She’s always been there with her love, and it has certainly made me forget the pain for a long time, many times. When it gets dark and everybody’s gone home and the lights are turned off, it’s just me and her.

Photo

Sun, 16 Jun 2013 14:49:19 -0400

Connie Britton & Nathan FIllion at the 1997 Emmy...

Sat, 15 Jun 2013 23:40:25 -0400

Connie Britton & Nathan FIllion at the 1997 Emmy Awards

My brain is like crying right now.

Hello Alexandra Bracken! I was wondering if there will ever be any TDM merch other than the bag from BEA like bookmarks etc. and if yes, will they be available internationally? PS. The Darkest Minds is my favourite book of all time and I can't wait until October! :)

Sat, 15 Jun 2013 23:26:55 -0400

Hello Anonymous! At this point I don’t really have any plans to create other merchandise. I really just don’t have the time to put the stuff together and then distribute it, at least not without my publisher helping. I’m sorry!

Not as cute as the other rain coats but it is yellow and LL Bean... can't go wrong with the Bean! LL Bean Trail Model Rain Jacket. Light weight and bright:) You can wear it with your boots.

Sat, 15 Jun 2013 23:24:36 -0400

Thank you! I’m going to try this one and see what the fit is like. I really love that it can be folded up and stowed easily—it’ll be great for traveling in the UK later this summer!

Emma Watson vs. Jennifer Lawrence: who do you think would win?

Sat, 15 Jun 2013 23:23:54 -0400

In the battle of who I’d want as my best friend, or…?

Alex, look up Nitty Gritty by Shirley Ellis. It's a great song.

Sat, 15 Jun 2013 23:23:26 -0400

Good stuff! The 60s were a great decade for music.

What happens if you don't make the deadline? Any penalties?

Sat, 15 Jun 2013 23:22:00 -0400

Uhhh… well, it depends. Some houses are not flexible and will push the book back into the next season. That is less than awesome because the publisher was counting on that book releasing a certain time for their budget. Even if you’re just a couple of weeks late, you have to work very hard to catch up and you have less time to go through copyedits and first pass pages because you’re trying to get ARCs printed in time for publicity and marketing seasonal mailings. If you’re WAY, WAY, WAY late, a publisher can cancel a contract.

Really, it boils down to you agreeing to be a responsible member of a partnership. If you’re late, it puts pressure on your editor. The reverse is true, too. If your editor is late getting you notes it puts the pressure on you to scramble to get everything done.