老虎机稳赢方法

Below is a modified and updated transcript of a keynote I gave back in 鈥�15 at the Surrey International Writers Conference, and given my last post on burnout, I thought I鈥檇 post it here because it seemed to help people when I spoke of it then. I鈥檓 going to press send before I chicken out. Fair warning: this is a longform piece so you might want to have a seat.

滨听do hope it helps.

Vx.

###########

听

When Kathy told me she wanted me to keynote it felt really good. A milestone and a bucket list item鈥攁 keynote at the Surrey International Writers Conference, the greatest writer鈥檚 conference I know. So of course I said yes.

And then I hung up the phone.

And then I thought 鈥� that was a serious mistake.

Because, you see, I hadn鈥檛 yet arrived. I hadn鈥檛 made it. Ten books in print, double the years as a writer, and I was still thinking, just give me a little more time. I鈥檓 sure I鈥檒l make it soon.

I also had a secret that I neglected to share with Kathy.

One year earlier? I had quit writing altogether.

This had occurred near the tail end of what was, to date, the worst period in my writing career (a worst period in which, ironically enough, amazing things had happened, my book, SWERVE, and those around it being the bright spot there) and when I spoke with Kathy my fingers were still very tender on the keyboard. I was only tentatively making my way back.

Now, to back up, I didn鈥檛 know I鈥檇 quit at first. I didn鈥檛 tell anyone I鈥檇 quit. I didn鈥檛 even know I鈥檇 quit. I鈥檇 show up at the page daily, just as I always had, and I would sit there. And I would stare. And I would not write.

For weeks my husband asked how the day鈥檚 work had gone and I鈥檇 tell him fine, slow, but beginnings always are. Then those weeks turned into months, the months turned into half a year, and finally I realized that I 飞补蝉苍鈥檛 only lying to him, I was lying to myself. For the first time since I was 26 years old, I was not a writer. I thought about writing everyday. I read voraciously and widely, which made me one hell of a reader 鈥� but I was no writer.

The warning signs had been there for some time. Most tellingly, I found myself regularly saying to my husband鈥搊ften before I even knew I was thinking it鈥�I hate this.

鈥淗ow鈥檚 the work going?鈥�

I鈥檇 look up. 鈥淚 hate this.鈥�

听

There is a Japanese author and researcher named Masaru Emoto who wrote a book called THE HIDDEN MESSAGES FROM WATER in which he purports that human consciousness can have an effect on the molecular structure of water. He鈥檇 perform experiments where he鈥檇 write a word on a label, then tape that label to a glass of water and, when frozen, the resultant crystals would either be very beautiful鈥攕uch as when the word 鈥榣ove鈥� was placed on the glass鈥搊r they鈥檇 be utterly destroyed, as when the word 鈥榟ate鈥� was imposed on the glass.

Now it sounds very woo-woo and out there, but as someone who believes very much in the power of words鈥搘ho has indeed created her life for over a decade using only words鈥揑 was a believer. More importantly, I remembered that the human body is comprised of up to 60% water. The mind and the heart alone? 73%.

听

I hate this. I hate this. I hate this.

I hated this thing I鈥檇 once loved.

I hated this thing I was creating with my mind and with my heart.

I hated it with 73% of my being.

And of course I felt destroyed inside.

听

So how had this happened? After all, when I started writing, it drove me to distraction, to obsession. Getting to the page every day was everything to me. I dreamed of my name of the bestseller list. I thought success required only putting one foot in front of the other. And I said that I would give anything for that goal.

The truth was, I couldn鈥檛 say how it鈥檇 happened, and you can鈥檛 fix what you can鈥檛 name. (Again, the power of words.)

So instead I began to ask myself: Is it still worth it?

Because that鈥檚 the question you have to ask every day when you shut the door on all the people and places and events in your life (not to mention the status updates and likes) so that you can perform the deeper work of writing. No matter what level you鈥檙e working at, it鈥檚 a question that never changes. Is it worth it?

So, one day, when I was 鈥渨riting鈥� I began cleaning out my garage. And I stumbled across dozens of notebooks and binders and a whole box of floppy disks, and they were all brimming with words. Unpublished words. Dusty words, literally, as they鈥檇 been in boxes for over a decade. Among them, some of my original working journals:

07: I am truly amazed at how much I get done these days. Everything seems to build on what has come before. I鈥檝e also realized that the grossly successful tend to get more done in the morning before most people ever get up. I鈥檓 not the only one getting up at 4 am. I finished another whole book, accomplishing new things in the process. I 飞补蝉苍鈥檛 freaking as much about rewrites, I just dug in and got them done faster and better, and it makes me want to see how fast/well I can do on this next. Today I鈥檓 going to highlight the textual events that really speak to me, that make me want to explore and write, and use those as my starting points/plot threads. I鈥檒l mindmap/flow chart them, make new connections, and spend the day wallowing in all the possibilities 鈥�

What happened? What was it about my journey that forced me to forget that I once loved this work? Who was this girl who had so much confidence that she thought she could compare herself to the 鈥済rossly successful鈥� and who wanted to wallow in words all day long? Because it was not me, not anymore.

At first I thought I was simply jaded. After a decade as a writer I knew exactly how the sausage was made. Publishing, rejection, competition, marketing鈥攎yriad issues that no writer has control over. Maybe it was a combination of all of those things.

Or maybe I鈥檇 begun identifying overly much with the images on my website鈥檚 homepage鈥搒peaking of myself in the third person, using words that were catchy soundbites but meant very little. 鈥淪he writes 鈥�Women who thrill!鈥� 鈥淪he writes strong women who kick butt and 鈥︹��

Blah, blah, blah.

Worse, maybe I only identified with those things if others said they were true. Only feeling 鈥榣iked鈥� if I got enough Likes. Only feeling worthy of support if my sales team decided to support me.

The girl on those dusty pages 飞补蝉苍鈥檛 like that. She Liked herself. She supported herself, and she did it with nothing but the ephemeral foundation of her imagination. And what was very clear in holding those pages鈥攁ll belonging to an unpublished writer who was so much more of a writer than I currently was鈥搘as that at some point in my storytelling career I鈥檇 lost my own narrative.

So I decided to do what my subconscious was already not-so-subtly doing as it shut down my brain every time I sat down to the page, and simply stop and ask: What am I doing? What am I saying? What is my narrative? And WHY?

And I decided that if I could no longer come up with a good WHY I would quit for good.

Now people love to talk about why they write. It鈥檚 great coffee shop conversation, it鈥檚 warm and fuzzy and invokes a dreamlike state: I write because I must, because it鈥檚 how I process the world, because it鈥檚 how I best communicate and connect. (Connection is my reason, by the way.) Yet there was nothing warm and fuzzy about what I was doing here. This was internal excavation, and the only tool I had was a very sharp critical eye and unblinking gaze. It was nothing I ever intended to share over a cup of coffee (never mind at Surrey; never mind here).

Yet back I went to rediscover myself through my own early words, even though I 飞补蝉苍鈥檛 certain that my reasons for getting into this gig would hold up all these years later. I shut out the voices of other writers and readers and agents and editors and publishers 鈥� and anyone really who didn鈥檛 physically sit in my living room on a nightly basis and I binged on my own words. (Lucky for me I am a writer and I keep fantastic notes.)

No, I still didn鈥檛 feel like the same person who wrote those words鈥揑 飞补蝉苍鈥檛 the same person鈥揵ut I recognized her in them, and in some cases I remember how it felt writing those words and in those moments it 鈥� Felt. Like. Home. So I kept digging. Finally, I came across this:

hi , I just wanted to thank you. Your writing has giving me the courage to finally take a stand. I actually ran away from home in Saudi Arabia and I am now in England. Then I鈥檓 coming to America , and I hope I get me dentistry degree. Your writing truly affects people in a great way, to make something from nothing out of their lives. Please keep inspiring other young people. :) [name redacted for privacy鈥檚 sake]

And I felt my mind and my heart鈥�73% of myself, to be exact鈥搇ight up inside of me.

Now you might be thinking, but Vic, these words came from outside of yourself鈥攋ust like the readers who give one stars and the agents and the editors 鈥nd that鈥檚 true. But this was different. This was a voice that I wanted. Those other voices had to do with their reasons for identifying or not with my work. This, even though it came from someone on the other side of the world鈥搒omeone I鈥檇 likely never meet鈥搕his was MY reason. This was Connection.

This young girl was out there making impossibly brave choices and doing amazing things and shaping her own life鈥搇iterally authoring her own narrative鈥揳nd she was awesome.

Which makes me awesome, too.

听

(See how I totally appropriated that? She is awesome, and therefore I am too.)

Connection.

I am awesome, and so are you.

Connection.

This girl whom I鈥檇 inspired was now, years later across space and time, inspiring me in return.

听

That is connection.

That is the power of the written word.

That is worth it.

So I decided the only thing that could get me out of this mess was what got me into it鈥攚ords. But I needed to start using the right ones. 鈥淗ate鈥� 飞补蝉苍鈥檛 going to cut it anymore. Instead, I decided that what had connected me to that girl in Saudi Arabia needed to become my new mantra: 鈥淚 am awesome, and you are too.鈥�

I am awesome, and you are, too.

(I鈥檓 repeating that now, in real time, just in case you need to hear it now.)

So I wrote another book, just for me, just for her, and I鈥檒l start revisions on it soon. I鈥檓 also starting my next thriller. I鈥檓 not worried about the time away. I figure if you have something of value to say and share, and you know how to say it, your Tribe will be there when it鈥檚 ready. Connection.

I still dream big, and I鈥檓 again showing up daily with this new belief in mind 鈥� but it鈥檚 not perfect. My working journal is still a record of my daily failures, but it鈥檚 also an account of bravery because every recorded word is a shout in the face of those failures. Yes, I鈥檓 a NYT bestseller with ten books behind me, but that isn鈥檛 what makes me awesome 鈥� it鈥檚 that I鈥檓 here. Today. And so are you.

I am awesome, and so are you.

So while this is written for writers specifically, I would encourage you to ask yourself, often and sincerely鈥搉o matter what you鈥檙e dedicating your time and life to鈥搘hat are you really doing? Why are you really here? What is so worth it to you that you鈥檙e giving your time and energy, and often money, to pursue?

What is so worth it to do anything in this life at all?

And if that鈥檚 still unclear right now, if you鈥檝e never fully expressed it, and it鈥檚 still a touchy-feely rainy coffee shop day feeling, that鈥檚 okay. Soak up the awesomeness of those who support you. Believe them, for God鈥檚 sake, when they tell you you鈥檙e awesome (and drop anyone who doesn鈥檛 hard and fast). And finally, if you鈥檙e a writer, please trust that when you sit down to the page every day to do the work of your mind and your heart that whatever it is that makes writing so worth it to you, may connect with 73% of someone who听needs to hear it most.

Burnout.

No writer likes to admit to it, and discussing it is akin to angering the gods. Yet lately I鈥檝e been seeing more writer friends suffering from overwhelm/ depression/burnout than ever, and I hate it for them. And I recognize it because, well 鈥� where the hell do you think I鈥檝e *been* for the past two years? (SWERVE in hardcover, and then paperback the next year, and then the foreign editions鈥搘hat you were seeing was stardust, my friends. It was a book written long ago, and anything that happened in the past two years was fallout.)

I haven鈥檛 spoken publicly about my burnout (outside of one writer鈥檚 con) because at first it was to painful, and later鈥搘ell, honestly, I didn鈥檛 want to be a writer anymore. I have too many other things that I want to do and be鈥搕hings that I鈥檓 good at and people who love me鈥搕o let this work make me miserable. I鈥檇 rather opt-out. Quit fast and hard like I do all the bad shit in my life. Who cares about writing if you鈥檙e doing it at the expense of living?

I can go into the burnout in another post, but I want anyone who might be suffering silently to know that you鈥檙e not alone (and that you don鈥檛 have to participate in your own misery). I also wanted to share the below picture:

It鈥檚 a page from THE ART OF SLOW WRITING, which I鈥檓 reading and really enjoying. I am writing again, and I鈥檓 not just writing more slowly, I鈥檓 doing *everything* more slowly. I鈥檓 being *really* picky about what I allow into any given day. It must be additive in some way, to me (if I鈥檓 allowing it in) or for others (if I鈥檓 dishing it out).

I don鈥檛 really do resolutions, but one thing I鈥檓 clinging to fiercely at the beginning of this year is the culmination of what I鈥檝e been working toward in *every* area of my life for these last two years: to do fewer things better with fewer, better things.

(Just roll that around for a minute, you鈥檒l get it.)

And because I鈥檓 slowing down鈥揹oing less, but digging deep鈥揑 seem to be getting more of *all* the right things done. I鈥檓 certainly enjoying each a hell of a lot more 鈥� and for the first time in a long while that includes the writing.

And, boy, is it a doozy.

There are some appearances and conferences that are pretty cush on the writer鈥檚 side of things. You show up, you wave, you sign some books鈥opefully get shooed back into your lonely writer鈥檚 cave before you start feeling too big for your britches.

However, as cush gigs go, the held every October not one of them.

I don鈥檛 mean that we鈥檙e not treated well. Conversely, we are given respect, acknowledgement, and all the tools necessary to work to our highest level鈥ut the key word in that sentence is work, and I鈥檝e never worked so hard as I do when I attend this conference.

I also love every minute of it.

It is my humble opinion that is the best writer鈥檚 conference out there, but let me back up a moment for context. Some of you already know this but before I was published I was a part of an online writer鈥檚 forum for about eight years. This was in the very beginning of the dial-up age, and I had to use a service called Prodigy to access the forum. Despite the inconvenience of being screeched at by the phone line for a full minute before gaining online access, I persevered because for the first time I found a like-minded group of people who felt as I did about writing, and many of these people attended Surrey yearly.

I did finally make it to Surrey, though it was as a presenter after my first couple of books were published, and here鈥檚 why I love it so much鈥攁nd why I think any aspiring writer out there should really give it a second glance:

鈥搕hey are age inclusive; respectful of writers of every age from teen to senior. Everyone is there to learn.

鈥搕he focus is on craft, not gimmicks. So often online you鈥檒l hear aspiring authors talking about how to game the system鈥攇et more likes, fiddle with metadata, 鈥榯en easy step to yada yada鈥欌�攂ut the writers and agents and editors at Surrey know there鈥檚 no shortcut to writing well, and everyone is focused on doing their level best at all time.

鈥搕he conference is small and presenters are required to attend all meals and social events on the schedule. This is conference magic, y鈥檃ll. It鈥檚 laid back, intimate, and low pressure. You get to rub shoulders with everyone. In the elevators, in the hallways, over drinks in the lounge鈥nd the interactions I鈥檝e seen between attendees and presenters are genuine connections.

鈥搊pportunity: you can pitch your story to agents, to editors, and you can have it critiqued in 鈥榖lue pencil鈥� sessions, where the presenting authors go over your pages for immediate feedback.

鈥搃t鈥檚 in Canada. I like Canada.

There鈥檚 also a signing, cocktail parties鈥擨 think there was even a pajama party thrown in there a couple of years ago; I鈥檇 better check on that鈥攁nd a trade show. In short, SIWC is what all writing conferences aspire to be, and the people running it are professional, kind, genuine, and lovers of the written word, down to the last.

You can go here to see the full schedule, but here鈥檚 my schedule for the weekend:

Friday, October 23:

10:00am 鈥� (Panel)

Members:听听(Moderator),听,听,听,听

Want your readers to forget about dinner dates and housework because they鈥檙e听unable to put your book down? Whatever your genre, the key is the same: tension. Join our panel of writers of page turners to learn the secrets of making your readers think 鈥渏ust one more chapter鈥� over and over again.

2:15 鈥� my blue pencil session (not sure if this is full yet or not, but I鈥檒l be critiquing whomever shows up!)

8:00 pm 鈥� post banquet keynote

*

Saturday, October 24:

11:30am 鈥� (panel)

听(Moderator),听,听,听,听

The world of fantasy is as varied as our imaginations, but even wildly different worlds come with the same concerns for writers. Join our panel of fantasy writers, led by agent Laurie McLean, and bring your questions.

2:15pm 鈥�

Presenter:听

Seeing your work on bookstore shelves for the first time is an undeniable high, but a long-term writer鈥檚 career typically contains challenges and rewards in equal measure. In this workshop we鈥檒l discuss overcoming the ups-and-downs on your way to becoming a career writer, how neither success nor failure is absolute, and how to face the ambiguous nature of the publishing business 鈥� while continuing to love what you do every step of the way.

Sunday

11:30am 鈥�

Presenter:听

No two writers鈥� paths unfold identically, but every published author finds a way to address goal-setting, time management, and the resolve to get to the writer鈥檚 chair daily. Join bestselling author Vicki Pettersson for tips, tricks, and hacks to help first-time authors beat the mind games that stand in the way of publication. 听

*

So, for the record, that鈥檚 two panels, two workshops, a keynote, signing, blue pencil and all luncheons and dinners 鈥� see what I mean about work?

And every minute is a joy.

I think there are still a few open if you鈥檙e interested this year, and check out the full programming to keep in mind for next year鈥檚 conference as well.

For those who are attending 鈥� see you soon!

So my editor at Gallery just surprised me with the cover for the mass market edition of SWERVE*. I literally gasped when I saw it. If, for you, the hard cover didn鈥檛 fully express the full throttle, heart pounding, sweaty palmed read that this is intended to be, then here鈥檚 this:

Consider yourself warned. ;)

听

*Out 5.31.16 鈥� mass market (premium edition).听

Hello, my friends!

It鈥檚 my great pleasure to finally announce the winners of the Audible giveaway for SWERVE. I have to confess, I used the Random Number Generator to choose winners because I cannot be (or at least feel) personally responsible for听not听choosing anyone. I wish I had enough to gift one to you all鈥搕hose stories were absolute train wrecks!听

On that note, I have to say听thank you听for entertaining me with your words for the week. It was a refreshing change, and though I didn鈥檛 reply to each, I did read them and laugh/snarf/gasp/groan/cringe in sympathy. Except for those of you who said you sail along the roads. Then I just wished you more happy sailing.听

That said, here鈥檚 what the computer pulled up. I鈥檓 emailing each winner from my author email, but for a quick check, the names are below (as they were provided to me).听

Let鈥檚 see if these guys are ready to go on another harrowing trip with my girl, Kristine. You鈥檙e all seasoned travelers. You can handle it:

Linda Henderson, Kim Martin, Peggy R, Karen Hansen, Gail Siuba, Elise Skidmore, Penny, Stephanie, Anne, and Linda Kish.听

If you don鈥檛 hear from me anon that means I have the wrong email for you. If you don鈥檛 respond in the next week, I鈥檒l draw another name and give your code away. Outside of that, enjoy!

I want to thank you听all for taking the time to write to me, to relive some *koff* interesting moments, and to share them so publicly. Nice to know we鈥檙e not alone in such things, right?听

Audio lovers, is now out and available via The narrator is Kate Rudd (who is fantastic!) and to celebrate I鈥檓 giving away ten audio copies of the book. All you have to do is leave me a message here, telling me about your worst road trip ever (okay, if you don鈥檛 have a worst, then tell me where you love to go or would like to go鈥搕hat works, too!). That way it鈥檚 like we鈥檙e swapping 鈥渨orst of鈥� stories, right?

You have just over a week, until September 4th, to enter and that way I can get the audio book to you for the long Labor Day weekend. Sound good? (No pun intended!)

Remember, if you want to hear me, rather than Kate, talk about SWERVE, I did a quick and fun interview with CrimeFiction.FM about the book, writing in general, and what it takes to become a ten-year overnight success story.

Meanwhile, here are a couple of 鈥渋nspiration鈥� photos from one of the road trips I took in order to research SWERVE (What? You didn鈥檛 really thing I made all that up, did you?)

First up, the road trip:

For those of you now familiar with SWERVE, the above photos are of the Rock-a-Hoola waterpark, the entrance to said park, the rollercoaster and parking lot at Buffalo Bill鈥檚 and, finally, the rest stop that started the whole thing.

And this is all Lake Arrowhead. The lakeside home on which I based the Hawthorne family estate, the lake itself with the homes tucked away in the trees, a pool room cast in red that I stole from a real estate brochure (yes, the picture itself spawned an entire scene) and Fourth of July fireworks above the lake鈥f you look closely you can see the boats dotting the lake below. Good times, right?

Finally, just because I had such great time this summer (and because it鈥檒l likely be a while before I get out on the road again) here are photos from my SWERVE tour:

That鈥檚 me reading from Taylor Stevens鈥檚 book at our joint signing. She said she couldn鈥檛 stand to hear her words read aloud, so of course that just made me torture her more. I鈥檓 a Big. Fan. The other two are of me signing and reading from SWERVE in Las Vegas. I love my hometown. It was a great turnout, and I made cookies that didn鈥檛 make even one person sick. A success all around!
The middle photo is of me with Kelly and Crystal 鈥� yes, that Crystal, for those of you familiar with SWERVE. I use people as well as places for inspiration too, yanno.

Good luck with the giveaway鈥揑 can鈥檛 wait to hear your stories!

So here we are. The long holiday weekend (at least in the States) that I鈥檝e been dreaming of even before Gallery (cleverly) decided to release my book on the Tuesday after. See, if you didn鈥檛 already know, SWERVE听is a Fourth of July book 鈥� with a story and subplot of Independence 鈥� and set in the 24-hour period that most North Americans are looking forward to this weekend.听So if you read it when it comes out next week, you can compare how your holiday weekend passed with the way my protagonist, Kristine Rush, spent hers:

听

I鈥檓 gonna take a flier and say that yours is a good degree better all around.

For now, people have been saying some pretty nice things about SWERVE. Here are a few places where you can learn more about the inspiration for the setting and the story:

.

.

Taylor and Vicki talk thrillers and will sign together at Murder by the Book in Houston on July 14th.

听

LAS VEGAS SIGNING (7/7): don鈥檛 forget the release date signing in 7 pm. Please note: as is usual for a local signing, I will be hosting a meet-and-greet in the adjacent cafe at 5:30 pm to chit-chat with readers 鈥� and to try and redeem my reputation as a bad cook. I鈥檝e gotten my fair share of ribbing on Facebook this year for my (admittedly) many cooking mishaps, so I鈥檝e decided to kill that *myth!!!* by baking cooking for my readers. (Question is: who鈥檚 gonna go first? *evil grin*)

BOOKPLATES: For those readers who are ordering hard copies of SWERVE, and can鈥檛 make it to the Las Vegas or signing, I鈥檓 happy to send a free bookplate to you if you send me your snail mail address at vickipetterssonbooks (at) gmail (dot) com. Be sure to include whatever inscription you鈥檇 like as well, if you鈥檝e a preference.

And, finally, some early blog/online REVIEWS:

: Books to Pick Up this Summer.

: 鈥淗ere鈥檚 why SWERVE is a must-read thriller.鈥�

: 鈥淐arefully planned, and brilliantly executed.鈥�

: 鈥淎 book which benefits from being read in one greedy gulp although it is not one for the faint of heart or stomach.鈥�

. 鈥淚鈥檝e read my fair share of 鈥渘ail-biters鈥� but very rarely has every. single. page. caused a permanent look of complete and utter panic on my face. I absolutely could not tear myself away from this one.鈥�

: 5 Stars.

I hope to see and hear from many of you soon. Enjoy your holiday weekend (for those who celebrate) and let me know what you think about !

Although SWERVE, isn鈥檛 out for another 3 weeks (7/7), here鈥檚 an early excerpt from the book, just to give you a taste. (Text continues below)

Also, this is the last week to enter to win one of 30 copies of SWERVE on 老虎机稳赢方法.

Finally, a reminder: if you鈥檝e ordered a hard copy or are planning on it, remember to send me your snailmail addy at vickipetterssonbooks (at) gmail (dot) com and I鈥檒l send you an inscribed bookplate, gratis.

Enjoy!

(鈥辞苍迟颈苍耻别诲)

听 听 听 听 听 听It鈥檚 July 3, so the sun is a heat lamp with no off switch, the blacktop road a cast-iron griddle, and any living thing caught between the two is just meat set to singe on high. I tried to tell Daniel this. I know this swath of high desert as well as I know his profile. The Mojave鈥檚 cracked surface is as familiar to me as the dark mole tucked to the side of his right eyebrow鈥攈is only imperfection, and one I love.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Unfortunately, a 4:00 p.m. sprint through the desert is the only way to both complete my twelve-hour shift at the hospital and to still reach his childhood estate at Lake Arrowhead before dinner. Cocktails and hors d鈥檕euvres are to be served on the east patio, precisely at seven o鈥檆lock.

听听听听听听听听听听听 I know, right?

听听听听听听听听听听听 At least there鈥檚 still light to see by inside the rest stop鈥檚 stifling concrete shell. It鈥檒l filter in through the open brick doorframe and allow for a mercifully quick change of clothes. I鈥檝e made a mess of things in the car, though it could be worse.

听听听听听听听听听听听 It will be worse.

*听听听听听听听听听 *听听听听听听听听听 *

听

My newsletter went out yesterday with all the latest on what鈥檚 happening with SWERVE, yet I鈥檝e been informed that I wrote an incorrect email addy inside the听newsletter.听(Yes, I know my own email, shaddup!) So here鈥檚 the real one for those of you who鈥檇 like it: vickipetterssonbooks (at) gmail (dot) com.

The reason for this? I鈥檓 having bookplates听made for those of you who can鈥檛 get out to one of my signings or convention appearances. So if you鈥檇 like one for the inside of your book, all you have to do is send me your snail mail address, along with whatever inscription you鈥檇 like, and I鈥檒l send it along. No need for a SASE.

Also, my publisher is still giving away 30 early copies of SWERVE over on 老虎机稳赢方法. One click, and you鈥檙e entered. Let me know if you win, too 鈥� I鈥檓 happy to send you a bookplate as well.

Signings:

As usual, I鈥漧l be signing in my hometown, Las Vegas at the Rainbow Barnes & Noble on release day, Tuesday July 7th, 7:00 pm. I鈥檒l do the usual coffee-klatch/meet-up beforehand (where I meet and chat with readers鈥�5:30 p.m. in the adjacent coffee shop). In the past I鈥檝e brought cupcakes or cake from Showboy Bakeshop, because I love them and I love you, but this time I was thinking about baking you guys something myself. I feel the need to听redeem myself after all my Facebook cooking fiascos. Adverse effects to eating my baked goods probably wouldn鈥檛 kick in until after the signing anyway, at which point you鈥檒l have already bought the book 鈥� so what the hell do I care?*

Additionally, attendees to the Vegas signing will be able to meet the real life inspiration for my protagonist in SWERVE, Kristine. I wanted to write a thriller that was intensely female-driven and had to dig deep for the resources she needed to survive when her back was to the wall. This friend embodies that sort of strength, and she received an early copy of the book 鈥� so this is your chance to ask her if she still wants to be friends with me after reading it.

The second signing I鈥檓 intensely excited about is July 14th, 6:30 p.m. at Murder by the Book in Houston. This will be a joint signing with one of my favorite authors, . Taylor writes the Vanessa Michael Munroe series鈥揾er latest is THE MASK鈥揳nd if you love strong women, this is a must-read series. (Aside: Murder by the Book is also the place where one unlucky reader mentioned a preference for my Zodiac series over Celestial Blues 鈥� while I was there signing a Celestial Blues novel. That reader now dies beautifully in SWERVE 鈥� so you should come to this one, too. I think it鈥檚 going to be cathartic for all. ;) )

So let me know on if you can attend either signing, especially Vegas so I know how many cookies to burn bake.

Less than a month to go now, guys 鈥� this thing is becoming Real!

*Fine. I care.

Good morning! I hope everyone had a happy weekend! I finally saw Fury Road, had an unexpectedly nice BBQ (ie., the weather cooperated) and spent a little time working and planning a blog post about the road trip I undertook to research SWERVE.

As you may know, it鈥檚 a chase book set on one road鈥搕he I-15 in the Mojave desert鈥搃n the middle of summer (the Fourth of July, to be exact). I traveled that stretch three times in July, mapping out Kristine Rush鈥檚 journey (my protag) and plotting the book. Here are some photos I took鈥揑鈥檒l post more and talk about them in the actually blog post鈥揵ut for those of you who鈥檝e received an early peek at SWERVE 鈥� these images should be self-explanatory. *evil grin*

Rest stop. The location, and the original building, was what inspired the opening scenes in SWERVE. They鈥檝e since expanded it, but I still remembering the original sweltering desert hole.

The abandoned Rock-a-Hoola waterpark, situated between Baker and Barstow on the I-15. Cheery place, huh? Now imagine it at over 100 degrees F. Now imagine the wind whipping through its flats. Now imagine it at night. #swerve

The inspiration home for the Hawthorne Estate in Lake Arrowhead. #swerve

Pool table. I photographed this from a real estate office window on my research trip to Lake Arrowhead. I don鈥檛 know if it was the red cast to the photo that influenced its inclusion in SWERVE or if it was just my imagination. I prefer to think the former. #swerve

Fireworks over Lake Arrowhead on the Fourth of July. See all the tiny lights dotting the lake? Those are boats gathered around a dock centered in the lake. That鈥檚 where the fireworks are shot from. This view is via the grand hotel patio. #swerve

The Fourth of July is five weeks away.

So is SWERVE.

Are you ready to go for a little ride?

听

Vx.