The magic of UNDER THE NEVER SKY hooked me long before I ever had the privilege of reading a full draft. It began one sweltering night at the SCBWI – LA conference in the summer of 2010.  It was before I was a Muse (yes, I know – prehistoric times, indeed), though Katherine was already a mentor/friend/confidant of mine. I’d seen Veronica at a number of conferences (we were both serious junkies that year), but never spoke more than a few pleasantries. I was walking by the bar alone as she was grabbing a drink. We smiled at each other and she said, “I’ve seen you everywhere. We need to be friends.”

Well, who was I to argue?

And, as writers do, we became fast friends. We sent snippets of our work to each other. We brainstormed ideas. We cheered each other on when the butt-in-chair glue was wearing thin. Then she asked me to help her on the manuscript she had just sold…turns out being an engineer and nerd was going to pay off again (eat that, high school a*holes). I was honored and floored.

We started flushing out some UNDER THE NEVER SKY world-building details in more depth. Immediately, her vivid worlds drew me in. Perry in the “Death Shop” that was almost CLAN OF THE CAVE BEAR primitive. Aria in her sterile pod where even sweating was an ancient thing. And, of course, the ever present danger in the sky…the mysterious Aether.

I’d ask questions or pose theories about their world. I’d read her Wikipedia-like responses and tried to tear them apart (tried is the operative word here, she knew them inside and out). She’d send me pictures and scientific articles. It was a blast.

Then, about a year ago, she wanted me to read the whole thing. The magic might’ve started months before with some world building exercises, but reading her prose and characters was spellbinding. Truly amazing. I’m an old fashioned, critique-on-paper kinda guy, so the whole printout became check marks, smiley faces, and exclamation points: 

Until, about a third of the way in, it crescendo into: 

I feel so lucky and privileged to have been part of giving the world this story, even if only in a small way of doodling in the margins to tell her how spot-on she was. 

So if you haven’t already, go out there and get a copy of UNDER THE NEVER SKY and prepare yourself to have its magic blow – your – mind.

(or better yet, click here and find out how you can win a free SIGNED copy).

I’m off to read it again…

Stand back if you prefer to stay clear of the itty-bitty brain bits. 

I am not a good reader of science fiction and fantasy novels.  It's not that I don't like them -- heck, I grew up wanting to inhabit the world of Star Wars, and read those books countless times.  It's just that somewhere between then and now, my brain has short circuited.  I get all discombobulated in the world-building, and end up obsessing on single elements -- the trains in Hunger Games, the ocean in Feed, Karou's hair in Daughter of Smoke and Bone.  I get snagged and dragged back by cleverly invented words.  I stop and hold them up and twist them in the light, pausing the entire endeavor like a toddler finding a ladybug on the walk to the store.

This doesn't mean I didn't enjoy these novels, or that I couldn't suspend my disbelief.  It just means they took more effort, more concentration on my part.  It was a different kind of reading.

Why am I telling you all this?  During the week we're hosting and celebrating UNDER THE NEVER SKY?  Because none of that happened to me while reading Veronica's book.

Veronica's world-building is vibrantly alive.  Her invented words seamlessly integrated (I love "rancy" -- and OK, maybe my inner toddler did stop to crow and wonder over this one).  But while thinking about this post, I decided that what really did it for me were her characters.

Veronica Rossi has inhabited her world with a host of engaging, multi-dimensional people, each with his or her own agenda and layered personality.

Perry is brave, stalwart, troubled, hurting.  Aria is terrified, desperate, lonely, but never, ever weak.

My favorite character is Roar -- from the moment he stepped onto the page.  Maybe it was his dashing demeanor or perhaps his effortless charm.  Maybe it was his talent with a knife.

Marron is someone I want to know personally.  Strength without brutality.  But with a carefully hidden edge that I hope reveals itself more fully in the rest of the series.

Cinder -- damaged, extravagant in all his emotions, complex, even -- dare I say -- pitiful.  But not in the cruel sense of the word.

And all the rest -- from Talon to Soren, Vale, Rose, Paisley.  Even the characters we never really get to meet are fully-formed in the minds of the characters we do.

That for me is the magic of UNDER THE NEVER SKY.

Because, you see, I haven't read it in over a year.  My local independent bookstore had an epic fail with the delivery of their shipment.  I can't find it in the wild (well, I could drive a half-hour to the nearest B&N, just not in the time that's been allotted me in the past couple of days).  And yet I can still visualize these characters, living and breathing in my mind.  That is a triumph.

That is the magic.

I won't tell you how many trips to Barnes & Noble I made over the weekend to see if I could spot UNDER THE NEVER SKY in the wild, but it was more than was probably justified considering the actual release date wasn't until Tuesday, and the nearest bookstore is thirty minutes away.  But then, on Sunday, I hit pay dirt!

I bought my shiny new copy and took it home.  It was like meeting an old friend by chance.  Maybe more like meeting an old friend who has become famous by chance.  Perhaps more like meeting an old friend who has become famous by hanging out backstage until they finally come outside. 

I remember well the first time I was introduced to this wonderful story, sitting in a critique group at a conference with a group of strangers that would become some of my best friends.  At the time, I had been blown away by Veronica's ability to describe a scene so perfectly, with just the right words.  I immediately fell in love with her gorgeous but completely accessible prose.

The premise of the story intrigued me, and I already knew I loved the writing, but the moment I fell in love with the story came later, when I had a chance to read the manuscript.

I remember the exact moment in the story well, because every time I read it, it makes my heart smile.  

There's a scene in the book that occurs shortly after Aria and Perry reluctantly begin their journey together, and it's written in Perry's point of view.  Aria and Perry distrust each other, but Aria needs the information that Perry has about the real world, having spent a lifetime in virtual Realms.

Aria asks question after question, and Perry, a man of few words, has no idea how to deal with them all. (He is such a guy!).  Aria is curious about the Aether, the living storms that have destroyed so much:


 "Do the clouds ever clear?" she asked.

"Completely? No.  Never."

"What about the Aether?  Does that ever go away?"

"Never, Mole.  The Aether never leaves."

She looked up. "A world of nevers under a never sky."

She fit in well then.  A girl who never shut up.

UNDER THE NEVER SKY, pp. 124-25.

I just love that exchange.  It reveals so much about Perry, who to this point in the book has been very serious and focused on the much larger problems of his family and tribe.  I love this first hint of a lighter side to Perry, and at this moment I started to fall in love with him.

A few pages later, I am gone, gone, gone:

"Why do you avoid looking at me?" she asked.  "Because I'm a Dweller?  Are we ugly to Outsiders?"

"Which question do you want me to answer first?"

"It doesn't matter.  You won't answer anyway.  You don't answer questions."

"You don't stop asking them."

"See what I mean?  You avoid answering and you avoid looking.  You're an avoider."

Perry flung the blanket at her.  She hadn't been ready.  It hit her on the face.  "You're not."

She snatched it away, shooting him a fierce look.  Perry could see her perfectly, though she sat beyond the circle of firelight.  

In the cover of darkness, he let the corner of his mouth lift. 

UNDER THE NEVER SKY, p. 127. 

That secret smile in the dark says so much. I melt a little every time I read it.  This is the chapter where I fell in love with Perry, and knew that I would follow him and Aria anywhere. 

As the story went on, the promise of this scene played out in unexpected ways.  The plot wove together masterfully, seamlessly tying together Perry's struggle to save his nephew and lead his tribe with the mystery of the disappearance of Aria's mother.  These characters each discover strengths they didn't know they possessed, and possibly could never have without each other.  Adventure, mystery and beautiful love story all wrapped into one, UNDER THE NEVER SKY is that rare book that I will go back to again and again.

And I KNOW HER.  Seriously.  Can you believe it?

Me neither.


Don't forget to post your picture of UNDER THE NEVER SKY in the wild to win one of four signed copies we are giving away!

Today, my debut novel, UNDER THE NEVER SKY, hits the bookshelves. I've been imagining this day for more than a year; you would think it would easier for me to believe it’s really happening, but I find myself rather stunned.

Part of me is still the writer in the corner table at the local coffee shop, headphones stuffed in my ears, frantically typing away during the 2.25 hours in which my youngest was in preschool. The writer who stayed awake many, many nights, staring at the ceiling in the wee hours, and wondering, how do you get published? Will it ever happen? What’s the magic to it? Is there a wand somewhere? Sparkle dust? How do you do this?

I can answer those questions now. I don’t think any of you will be surprised to hear that hard work—any tons of revision—is a major part of it. But the part that’s clearer to me everyday is this: people. A book is written by one person who is supported and encouraged by many. Here, friends, are my supporters…. The sparkle dust that made this happen… along with my thanks.

Editor, HarperCollins Crew, Agent, Mentors & Writing Friends: Thank you for your time. Thank you for your thoughtful critiques and words of encouragement. Thank you for your belief in me and UNDER THE NEVER SKY. Thank you for picking me up when I needed it. Thank you for making me look far better than I would have without you. And thank you for sharing this journey with me. When I pick up the book and turn the pages, I see you: Your comments and reactions… All the thousand ways you helped to shape it. Thank you.

Family & Friends: Thank you for supporting me on this impractical, time-consuming, reclusive obsession of mine. Thanks for being patient when I disappear into the writing cave, and for pulling me out of there from time to time. Thank you for putting up with me this year (which has been a little stressful and harried, in spite of all the good fortune I've had.) Most of all, thank you for being the point. I am lucky to do what I do, but my life is about you. What matters are the birthday parties and school plays and impromptu dinners and the football games in the court and walks to Starbucks. You make my life rich, and I'm so grateful for every one of you.

Bloggers & Readers: You. Guys. Are. Awesome. Many of you have read UNDER THE NEVER SKY and loved it. Thank you so much for sharing your enjoyment with me; this so much fun because of you, and so very rewarding. To those who read and didn't love it, I thank you for giving it a try. I did my best, I promise, to entertain you. If you're a potential reader, I do hope you fall in love just a little bit. If you do, I’d love to know about it.

I want to thank the YA Muses in particular for this week’s UNDER THE NEVER SKY celebration. You guys are the wonderful.

In closing—though it’s probably rather clear by now—I want to say that I’m grateful. Really, really grateful for this day, and this accomplishment. Thank you for sharing it with me.

(Originally posted at veronicarossibooks.blogspot.com)

Happy New Year, everyone! We're kicking it off this week with an amazing book birthday. Our very own Veronica Rossi is celebrating the release of the hotly anticipated UNDER THE NEVER SKY on Tuesday and we couldn't be prouder. Even though the book is officially released tomorrow, I am an eye witness to the fact you may already be able to find it on shelves.

Here's proof! Look what I found at the Barnes and Noble's in Fort Collins, Colorado --------------->

To join in the festivities, snap your own picture of UNDER THE NEVER SKY in the wild and post to win your very own signed copy. Click on the button above for all the details.

This week the Muses are going to share first memories of UNDER THE NEVER SKY and the point when each of us realized this book was incredibly special.

I first read the opening words to UNDER THE NEVER SKY two years ago when I met Veronica, and the other Muses, in a small critique group led by Ellen Hopkins at the Big Sur Writing Conference. As Veronica began to read aloud her opening chapter, my preconceived notions about the kinds of books I liked and didn't immediately surfaced. I'm not usually drawn to futuristic stories. Even so, I was impressed by the writing skill evident in those first few pages and wanted to hear more. It was six months later when that finally happened and I had the opportunity to read the completed first draft of UNDER THE NEVER SKY before meeting Veronica again in person at the SCBWI annual conference in LA. We met at the airport and shared a cab to the hotel. Neither of us knew that weekend was going to change Veronica's life and lead to the whole world's opportunity to read UNDER THE NEVER SKY, but I remember telling her on the ride to the hotel how much I enjoyed the book and how special it was.

So when did the book's magic happen for me? I can recall the exact moment in the text. It was the scene in the cave when Peregrine and Aria are together for the first time. At that point, the two story lines merge and the chemistry is absolutely magical. No other word for it. Aria walks outside to face a deadly new world and sees Perry sitting with his back to her... and the tattoo on his back looks like it moves...

You'll just have to read it for yourself.

You'll see.

Magic.

First of all - THANK YOU for taking this wild ride through 2011 with us!  We have loved hearing from you, sharing with you, and have appreciated every thought and moment of support.  You guys are the best, and make every blog post worthwhile to us.

Secondly, what does 2012 hold in store for the Muses?  Well, come and see.

January:

Veronica's debut novel, UNDER THE NEVER SKY, will be released officially this week!  January 3.  We will be hosting an all-NEVER SKY, all-the-time week here on the blog, and will give away four signed copies.  Check back tomorrow for details, but be sure to keep a lookout for the book in the wild.  We've already seen a few photos, and we'll be asking for more!

V will also be at the following in-person events:


Book Launch!  Saturday, January 7th, 4:00-5:30 PM - Rakestraw Books, Danville, CA

Not Your Mother's Book Club!  Thursday, January 12th   at 7 PM -  Books, Inc. Opera Plaza, San Francisco, CA with Tahereh Mafi, Ellen Schreiber and Anna Carey

April:


Spring Spirit Conference!  SCBWI North/Central California's annual event held in Rocklin, California on April 21.  The five of us are presenting a panel on revision, to be followed up with five days of revision posts on the blog.  Come see us in person if you can!  Registration details here.

May:


TNB arrival!  Bret and Lisa's baby is due mid-May.  Of course, babies no know set schedule, so we can't attach a date to this yet.  In the meantime, Bret is in training for the TNB marathon.

GILT launch date!  Katherine's book will debut May 15.

October:


SKINNY launch date!  Donna's book will debut October 12.

Fall:


SILVER launch!  There is no set date for Talia's debut yet, but keep checking back, because we'll know soon...

And of course, you can always find us here and on Twitter.  I'm sure we'll have more announcements as the year progresses, and we look forward to sharing it all with you!