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FAKE ID in stores NOW

It’s been a long time coming, folks. My novel, FAKE ID, is now available all over. Click HERE to purchase a copy from your preferred bookseller.

Many of you have asked how you can show your support, and I want to thank you for that. Below, you’ll find a few things you can do to help the book (and me) succeed:

1)   Buy a copy of FAKE ID (http://www.harpercollins.com/books/Fake-Id-Lamar-Giles/?isbn=9780062121844): This is the best way you can help. Good sales numbers prove to my publisher that I am a good investment, so they will continue to invest. Awesome sales numbers open up the possibility for bestseller lists, which increases visibility, which…well, it goes back to the return on investment thing. Sales keep writers employed.

2)   Encourage a friend to buy a copy of FAKE ID: See point 1…

3)   Post a review of FAKE ID: FAKE ID has a page on Amazon, B&N.com, Goodreads, or wherever books are sold or reviewed. More reviews increase visibility on those sites. More visibility leads to more sales.

4)   Come out to a FAKE ID event: For those in the DMV (D.C., Maryland, Virginia) area, I’ll be doing several events over the next few weeks. Come out and say hi. The first event will be Saturday, Jan. 25^th from Noon to 3 at the Greenbrier Barnes & Noble (1212 Greenbrier Pkwy, Chesapeake, VA 23320). The second event will be on Saturday, Feb. 1^st from 2PM – 4PM at the Hopewell branch of the Appomattox Regional Library (209 E. Cawson Street, Hopewell, VA 23320). Books will be on sale at the events, so if you’d like to wait and purchase your book on those days, me and the booksellers would greatly appreciate it.

5)   Promote Literacy: When I was growing up, I often heard the term “RIF”—Reading is Fundamental. It was true then, it’s still true now. Let’s make sure no one forgets.

Thanks everyone. I’m going for the win in 2014 and I hope you join the team. I will see you on the other side of this crazy and exciting season! Take care.

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FAKE ID, HarperCollins, L.R. Giles, On Sale, publishing

Climbing Out of the Hole (my new book)

I know I’ve been MIA for roughly a thousand years, but for good reason. I sold another book (cue airhorns, confetti, balloon drop). Thing is, I sold this book on proposal, meaning my publisher (HarperCollins, again) only saw a summary, and some sample chapters before ponying up some cash. Also meaning I had to produce an entire manuscript based on that summary and sample chapters. In six months. While working a brutally demanding day job. And preparing for the 1/21/2014 release of FAKE ID.

These are what we call “good” problems, I suppose. But, boy, did I have to hustle.

So, yeah, I descended into the WriterCave for many moons. Had to climb out. When I did, I emerged with…

 

The New Book

It’s called ENDANGERED (for now, titles change and I’m almost positive this one will, too). The short description goes like this: Lauren “Panda” Daniels wants to photograph wildlife for National Geographic someday. In the meantime she settles for snapping shots of her cruel classmates in compromising positions and posting them anonymously on the web. When Panda receives a photo of herself—caught red-handed in her voyeuristic revenge act—she expects the mystery photographer to bust her. Instead, she receives a series of dangerous photos from the shutterbug she dubs “The Admirer,” and along with the photos, a dare: top the death-defying snapshots. Panda meets every challenge, until the little game turns deadly. Now Panda must save the classmates she once exposed—their lives, and hers, are at stake.

That’s my latest baby, delivered to my editor at 12:22 PM yesterday. There’s still plenty of work to do here, but it’s a heck of a relief anytime you can call Draft 1 (or, if this was an Apple product, iDraft 1.04) done.

 

What’s Next?

Now, I must switch gears, as FAKE ID’s release is right around the corner. I’m busy talking to folks about the book (librarians, booksellers, journalists), attempting to make arrangements for a book release party, and generally getting comfortable with the idea of being the front man for a roadshow starting early next year. Is it scary? Hell yeah! In the best way possible? You know it.

In coming posts, I’ll let you know how the lead up is going. My very next post will be about some of the lessons I’ve learned as a pre-debut author. I think you’ll find it interesting and eye-opening if you have any illusions that a writer’s work is glamorous in any way. Getting a book deal is just one of many hurdles, folks. Come back and I’ll tell you about it.

 

I’d Appreciate Your Help

Book sales matter, particularly the sales in the first few weeks of a book’s release. It would mean a lot if you would either pre-order FAKE ID from your preferred bookseller, or make plans to order it on the release day, 1/21/2014. I’d like to keep doing this for a long time, but ultimately, it’s you who makes that decision.

Every little bit helps, and I appreciate you supporting my work. Thanks.

‘Til next time…

 

 

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Endangered, FAKE ID, HarperCollins, Lamar Giles, publishing, thriller, Young Adult

Memoirs of a Drowning Man

Hey Gang. Yep, it’s really been 7 months since my last update. SIGH…

THEN

I gotta be honest with you. It’s been a crazy year, and, unfortunately, my site maintenance fell by the wayside. Since my last update, I was:

• Laid off from my day job of 10 years (Boo! Hiss!)
• Given a new title for my Summer 2013 YA debut novel. WHISPERTOWN is now FAKE ID
• Bumped. Meaning my Summer 2013 YA Debut novel got pushed back to early 2014 (not necessarily a bad thing)
• Asked to revise said novel twice (1st time was a MAJOR overhaul, completed in July, 2nd time is LESS MAJOR, currently in the works)
• Getting my ass kicked by my demanding new day job
• Completing 2 new novel proposals that I can’t talk about yet
• Blogging here and here (doesn’t mean I don’t love you all)
• Catching up on my sleep deprivation (Yes, I am fully deprived now)

Like I said, CRAZY!

NOW

Going Forward: As soon as I get an idea of what the FAKE ID cover will look like, I’m going to hire a designer to redo EVERYTHING! Obviously, there will be announcements when these changes are in the works.

I want you to keep coming to the site, but I don’t want to make empty promises about how often you’re going to see updates here. I’m struggling to keep up right now. I can guarantee you’ll see big changes on the site this year. In the meantime, if you haven’t LIKED my FB Fan Page, or followed me on Twitter, I kindly ask that you do so.

I provide a lot of micro-updates through those social media sites because it’s easy for me to send a short message from my phone, as I’m much more mobile these days.

So, I apologize (again) for the neglect, and if you’ve enjoyed my work in the prior years, I ask that you stick with me a little longer. Big things are in the works, but big things aren’t always fast things. Your patience and support is always appreciated. I wouldn’t be here without you.

Soon, gang. Soon.

 

 

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books, L.R. Giles, publishing, revisions

For Writers: What you can learn from the MAD MEN

Last night I caught INSIDE THE ACTOR’S STUDIO and the special guests were the talented creator and actors behind one of TVs most popular series, MAD MEN. If you aren’t familiar with the 1960s period drama about an advertising executive who is a portrait of duality, no worries, this lesson won’t be lost on you.

Towards the end of the episode, during Q&A, a drama student recounted her experiences in amateur productions, explaining how invaluable she found the weeks and weeks of rehearsals her troupe participated in before a performance. She asked how much rehearsal time the MAD MEN cast had before they shot their scenes. The answer shocked her and most of the audience.

There were no rehearsals on the MAD MEN set.

Jon Hamm, the show’s star, explained that they participated in a weekly table read (think middle/high school English class, where everyone takes a role and reads Shakespeare aloud from their desks), then the next time they got to practice was during the lighting set up right before they shot. No true rehearsal, just a chance to familiarize oneself with the material, then go home and make sure you knew your #&$* before the cameras rolled.

As important as that fact is, it pales to the reasoning behind it. Matthew Weiner, the show’s creator, explained that every minute they’re on set costs money, so there’s no time to waste. Although he pointed out that if a guest actor doesn’t know their lines, he will fire them (at costs of up to 100,000 dollars for the time it takes to replace them and reshoot) because unprepared people cost more in the long run.

Consider that. The amateur actor (that’s not meant as a dig, just pointing out that the student who asked the question is not yet a professional) admitted that extensive rehearsals increased her comfort. The pros let her know that they don’t get that luxury. Yet, MAD MEN is one of the most critically acclaimed, award-snatching shows on television. A lot of that has to do with stellar scripts, but without talented (and prepared) people to do the work on a tight schedule, the scripts wouldn’t mean a whole lot.

How’s this relate to you, dear writer? After all, you won’t be dressing up in a retro suit and pitching ads for LIFE cereal and Vick’s Cough Syrup. You’re not performing.

That’s where you’d be wrong. You’re not an actor, but your profession requires that you perform on demand. Or, it will. When you crossover from amateur to pro. Think about it. Deadlines. Proposals. If you want to be a book-a-year writer, then you have to be prepared to write fast, fast, fast.

You have all the time in the world to write book 1, your baby, that masterpiece your Muse faxed you from Heaven. As soon as you sell it to Massive Publishing House X, you’ve got people to answer to. Deadlines to hit. It’s a role you better damn well know.

If not, you will be replaced. It will cost them less in the long run.

But, if you can manage to do the job in the time allotted, not second guessing, and trusting that preparation is better than comfort, then who knows…maybe when they come up with INSIDE THE WRITER’S STUDIO*, you’ll be able to shock a few amateurs with what you’ve accomplished.

*Yes, I’ve fantasized about it. And yes, I’m the first guest. 😉

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Actor, Advice, For Writers, Inside the Actor's Studio, Jon Hamm, L.R. Giles, Mad Men, publishing, student, writing advice

Broken Promises/My Cave

I started the year telling you I was going to update this blog weekly. Didn’t happen. I know you don’t appreciate it, but I hope you can understand my reasoning. I’ve been in my cave. Not hibernating. Writing. A lot. Two-novels-and-a-short-story worth of writing.

Because I’m CIA-like in my distribution of information, here’s how we’ll refer to my current batch of works-in-progress (WIPs):

WIP #1 – WHISPERTOWN. You already know about this one. It’s currently in its 5th (or 6th, who’s counting?) draft and as soon as I receive editorial notes from HarperCollins, I’ll be revising again. Remember, writing is rewriting.

WIP #2 – Untitled Fantasy-Action Hybrid. Currently on Draft #2, starting Draft #3 this week.

WIP#3 – Untitled Horror-Action Hybrid. I completed Draft #1 yesterday. Letting this sit for awhile.

I tell you all that so you know I’m not sitting on my ass playing Call of Duty (well, that does happen sometimes). Still, you deserve an explanation if you’ve been a long time follower.

I will try to do better here. In the meantime, for more immediate updates and musings, I recommend liking my Facebook Fan Page or following me on Twitter. With current time constraints, I’m able to send updates through those tools more frequently.

Thanks for hanging in there. Big news soon folks.

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publishing, revisions

What’s it worth to you?

My friend Aimee Salter recently posted a year-by-year breakdown of what it took for me to score a book deal with HarperCollins. It’s a lengthy piece, though, and I’m often contacted by people who are looking for more condensed answers. I’m going to tackle a few of the questions I’ve received lately (look for some of this to make it to the FAQ section of this site), and I’ll continue to do the these brief Q&As as I get more diversified questions. Here we go:

What does it take to be successful in publishing?

I can’t say for sure yet. I’ve been selling fiction for a little over ten years, I’ve been an independent publisher for less than a year, and since my YA Thriller Whispertown won’t debut until 2013, I won’t know how that’s going to measure on the success scale for awhile. Also, the term ‘success’ is relative. I won’t feel like I’m successful until I’m generating full-time income from fiction. I’ve got a long way to go. However,  some writers  are happy to see just 1 of their stories in print. There’s nothing wrong with that. Just understand that you first need to define success before you can achieve it. Anything else is a dart game in a pitch black room.

What do I have to do to write a book?

The most obvious answer is ‘write a book’. But, that’s a smart ass response and more than a little condescending. I bring that up because I remember being a teenaged newbie and having the opportunity to ask a respected writer about the mysteries of being a novelist. The guy was a total jerk. He actually called me a stupid college kid who asks silly questions which were a waste of his time. He’s still respected among his peers, but I never bought another of his books (I didn’t like his writing that much anyway). My point: I will never treat you this way, Dear Reader. You’re not stupid and there’s no such thing as a silly question. If you ask, I will try to answer. Please note, if you ask me a question that I get a lot I may refer you to the FAQ…it’s just a matter of logistics; I’m not blowing you off. Now, about writing that book…

There’s no concrete method. It takes persistence and consistency, and much like success, you have to define what that means to you. When I’m in the middle of a project with no deadline I shoot for 1,500 – 2,000 words a day, written in the morning under the influence of 1 cup of coffee until it’s done. Once I have a 1st draft I print it, revise on paper, then key in changes until I have a clean 2nd draft. I send the 2nd draft to a handful of trusted readers, wait for their notes, then make more changes. I keep at this until I’m satisfied. I speed it up and write in the evenings if a deadline is pressing. Your mileage may vary.

I have trouble finishing the writing projects I start, do you have any advice?

This is one of those questions where the answer seems so simple to me that I have to be careful how I answer it because I may SOUND like the jerk I described above without meaning to. The problem I have here is that everyone sees the world through a slightly different lens, and it’s easy to fall into a trap of thinking your lens is better than the next guy’s when nothing can be further from the truth. There’s no better or worse…there’s just ‘is’. So, when I hear writers say they have trouble finishing projects, I see the problem through my lens, and from that view the answer reads like this: You don’t want to finish.

It’s not fair to tell others what they want or don’t want, for only they truly know that, but I do believe action is a better indicator of a person’s desires than what they say. In this regard, I’ll speak about my own actions, and the times in my life when I had trouble finishing projects.

When I was in high school I was more concerned with my clothes, shoes, and girls to spend time fully fleshing out a project. In college I had to study and maintain my GPA. After college I had a job and that bit into my time. Through all that, I kept saying to myself and others that I really wanted to write a book. I’ve got good ideas. I’ve started stories. I have the tools, but…I’m just so busy.

I wasn’t too busy to become the best NBA Live player in my college apartment. Wasn’t too busy to catch a movie at the cineplex every weekend, or buy (and watch) the hottest DVD release every Tuesday. I made sure I caught all of my favorite TV shows. And I was always well-rested, 8 to 10 hours of sleep every night.

Underneath all those distractions was the core of the problem. I was afraid that I’d spend years and years toiling away on writing (and I did) only to fail (which is still a risk based on my definition of success), so I avoided the fear with manufactured tasks and too much leisure at the expense of my writing time. I didn’t really want to finish because I might then come face-to-face with my own inadequacies. At some point I had to ask what’s worth more to me? My prowess as a gamer, being up to date on the latest film and TV, or achieving my lifelong dream of being a professional writer (meaning I actually wrote things to completion then sold them)? Once I understood that the potential reward outweighed the risks, I had no problem finishing projects. That’s not to say I didn’t have slow days (or years), but I got over the first stumbling block of simply not writing enough, and once I started I quickly got over the second stumbling block of thinking I’m not good enough. Newsflash: there will always be someone who thinks you suck. Take constructive feedback from these people when it’s there, otherwise focus on those who like your work.

Once I flipped that switch in my head, I was on my way. It started with a question: what is my writing worth to me?

If you’re having trouble finishing projects, I ask you the same. What’s it worth to you?

Ongoing

Like I said, I’ll probably condense these and get them into the FAQ at some point. I hope you found some of this helpful. Feel free to send more questions to lrgileswriter [at] gmail [dot] com, or hit me up on Twitter. Later, gang.

 

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Advice, L.R. Giles, publishing, Q&A

Me + HarperCollins = A HOT Summer 2013

I’ve been waiting a lot of years to say this.

It’s official! Summer 2013…look for my debut Young Adult Thriller (working title: WHISPERTOWN) in bookstores nationwide courtesy of my new publishing family, HarperCollins. It took 3 months to finalize everything and it’s been AGONIZING to not speak publicly about it all. But, I’ve just been given the green light and speak I will.

I’d like to give a special shout out to my incomparable super agent Jamie Weiss Chilton for all her hard work brokering this deal, and I’d like to say thank you to my new editor Phoebe Yeh who I can’t wait to work with. There are a ton of others I owe thanks to because this has been a long, long road, but I’m going to save all that for the acknowledgements page. 😉

Look for more news soon. In the meantime, here’s a little taste of what’s coming…

Nick Pearson is pretending to be someone he isn’t. Not high school pretending. Witness Protection pretending. And the #1 rule is “stay low-key”. But, when his sole friend Eli dies in the school’s journalism room under mysterious circumstances, and Nick stumbles upon the conspiracy Eli planned on exposing, staying low-key takes a backseat to staying alive.

Newspaper Nerd Eli had a secret, an in-the-works story codenamed “Whispertown”. And it’s got a lot of folks interested. Like corrupt cops, the town’s shady mayor, and certain high-ranking government officials. Teaming with Eli’s estranged (and gorgeous) sister, Nick sets out to unravel the mystery and still maintain his cover. He’ll have to use all the deviant skills he’s gained from his racketeering dad, assassin godfather, and their Serbian gangster boss to find the truth. However, each clue brings him closer to answers he may not want. Whispertown is bigger than he could have ever imagined, and in its shadow stands a killer…a killer Nick fears may be his own father.

I’m off to celebrate…later, gang!

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Debut, HarperCollins, L.R. Giles, publishing, Summer 2013, Whispertown, YA Thriller

California here I come…

I will be in LA for the rest of the week attending the Society for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) 40th Anniversary Summer Conference. It’s my first trip to the West Coast and I couldn’t be more excited.

I’ll be posting pictures throughout the weekend to my Facebook Fan Page. “Like” me and tell your friends to “Like” me, too. You can see what sort of silliness I get into over the next few days.

Also, follow me on Twitter (@LRGiles) and keep an eye on the official conference hashtag for a lot of cool stuff from the numerous writers in attendance: #LA11SCBWI

I may blog a bit while I’m there, otherwise I’ll catch you when I’m back in my timezone…

 

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books, ePublishing, eReader, Fun, Hollywood, L.R. Giles, publishing, SCBWI, Twitter

What book are you chasing?

First, I’m not going to give you suggestions on the best ways to follow a shot of top-shelf whiskey. For those who feel mislead, I’m sorry to disappoint. Moving on…

The title of this post is actually a reference to the 1997 film Chasing Amy written and directed by Kevin Smith. If you haven’t seen it, it’s a pretty funny indie film currently available through Netflix Instant Streaming. And you might want to view it before I reveal this little tidbit that explains the origin of the title when no one in the film is named Amy.

*spoiler alert*

Towards the end of the movie the Silent Bob character, who is played by the director himself, gives a poignant monologue about how he messed up a good relationship with a woman named Amy over something that, in the scheme of things, was stupid. Now, he spends his days trying to find the same level of fulfillment he experienced with her. He’s constantly “Chasing Amy”.

I can’t relate to Silent Bob’s relationship woes because I’m happily married, but I’m a bit of a book whore. It occurred to me that I spend a lot of time trying to find a book that gives me the same level of fulfillment as certain other titles I’ve read over the years. I’m not the only one, and publishers know this, which is why when a book or series is successful, you immediately see a thousand clones (painfully obvious in YA right now with every other book aiming to be this week’s Hunger Games). Thing is, the clones almost never live up to the original*, so, sadly, the longing is never fulfilled.

That’s neither here nor there. See, for me personally, I think there is ONE  book (MAYBE two) that moved me so much that I’m always trying to find a book that gives me the same level of enjoyment and satisfaction while disappointing me because I know it has to end. For me, it’s NIGHTWORLD by F. Paul Wilson (BLOOD BROTHERS by Steven Barnes is a close runner-up).

I read both books when I was 19 years old, and they CHANGED me, influencing my reading and writing habits ever since. Now, I spend everyday chasing Nightworld.

What about you? Any particular book that you can’t seem to get out of your system, no matter how many books you read? Please, let me know in the comments.

*If you know of a book that was an obvious clone of another, but somehow surpassed the original, please share. I’d be interested to check them out.

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books, Chasing Amy, F. Paul Wilson, Film, L.R. Giles, netflix, publishing, Steven barnes

Mr. Giles Goes To Washington

I’ll be attending the Go On Girl! Book Club’s Annual Awards Weekend in Washington, D.C. this weekend. The ladies of GoG have selected LIVE AGAIN as there July-December Sci-Fi/Fantasy pick and I couldn’t be happier. I can’t wait to meet them in person.

For those who can’t make it to the capital city, I’ll do my best to make you feel like you’re there by posting pics and tweeting throughout the conference as time permits. In honor of the club’s 20th anniversary, I’ll be using the hashtag: #GoG20

So, follow me on Twitter (@LRGiles) and feel free to join the 140 character conversation.

I’m out. I’ll tell Barack hi for you. 🙂

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conference, GoG, publishing, road trip, Washington DC

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