Jeri Smith-Ready

Update on Zachary's novella "Shattered"

"Shattered," the novella from Zachary's point-of-view, which covers the same time frame as SHINE (Book 3), was originally scheduled to be published today, so I figured I should probably put up a quick post.

Um, it's not coming out today, on account of the fact that it's not finished. It'll be out some time in early 2013.

I've mentioned elsewhere what a difficult year this has been workwise. SHINE took two extra drafts to get it perfect, which pushed back the schedule for LUST FOR LIFE (WVMP Book 4, coming November 27), which compressed my time allotted for "Shattered" into a very short period that can only be described as "the last week and a half."

Tomorrow I have to get rolling on my next YA novel for Simon Pulse, due early October (to be released early 2014). I have a detailed outline, but they frown on authors turning in outlines instead of actual books. (I KNOW, RIGHT?)

Besides, I am super stoked to write this new novel. I've been cheating on other projects with it all year, an hour here, an hour there. It's completely different than anything I've done before, a contemporary (non-paranormal) novel from a boy's point of view. I'm doing it for Camp NaNoWriMo, which starts tomorrow.

I can't say much more about it until I write at least the first draft, because lots could change. It has a working title, which I also can't share because it'll definitely change.


Sorry.

Anyway, despite the fact that I'm dying to write what for now I am calling "Dave," I feel very kicky-screamy about having to put Zachary aside AGAIN. But such is the nature of balancing self-published work with contracted work.

I love "Shattered" maybe more than anything I've ever written, and I want/hope it'll be the BEST thing I've ever written. I want it to be perfect, though it probably won't be, because nothing ever is. But it will be ambitious literarily (is that a word?), a story structured in a way that's interesting beyond just the plot and characters. I hope.

In the meantime, you can get plenty of Zachary (and Logan and Martin and, on special occasions, Aura) on Twitter and on tumblr.

BUT WAIT...

I still owe you a "Shattered" teaser for Zachary winning Round 1 of the Crush Tournament--a funny, sexy scene of him and Aura having a video chat. That'll be here on the website soon, in both words and audio (read by me, hopefully not too embarrassingly). (Along with Logan and Aura's first kiss and the epilogue to the Prom Scene.)

AND...
Tomorrow at noon Pacific (3pm Eastern), a different scene from "Shattered" will be presented as part of the YA Scavenger Hunt. It will be available to read only as long as the Hunt lasts, until noon Pacific Sunday, August 5, and then I'm taking it down until "Shattered"'s release in early 2013. I won't be able to link to it directly from this blog--you have to go through the Hunt to search for it (them's the rules, sorry).

This scene? Features Logan and Zachary.




Yep.

Labels: Dave, SHADE series, short stories, writing life, YA Crush Tourney

• posted by Jeri @ 7:18 PM
• 14 comments