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Hi all! I'll be at Book Expo and Book Con this year. I'll be signing free arcs of Ignite the Stars, so make you stop by. There's be some enamel pins and bookmarks at the booth as well! Hope to see you all there!
And there's going to be a cool photo-op w/something from the book. I'll announce it closer to the day. Get ready to take pics!
I'll be at YALLWEST (is it supposed to be all caps? I've just been doing it that way because it's easier for me). I'll just be wandering around, looking tired because I'm thinking about book 2, but then happy again because hopefully i'll be eating a sushi burrito at the food truck lot.
Anyway, if you wanna say hello, I'll be there. Just yell my name, and it's alright if you can't pronounce it--not many people know how to!
We can talk about Ignite the Stars, kpop, dogs, anime, Buffy, what it'd be like to live on Mars, fashion. Say hello, we can high-five, or just nod at each other from across the way. I might be dressed in all black, but I am not mean.
I am so beyond thrilled for all of you to finally see the cover for IGNITE THE STARS.
Doesn't she look amazing?!?!
When I saw the first draft of this cover, I wept like a mother seeing her newborn child for the first time. I've been writing this character for over two years now, and now I finally get to see her. And it's oh so satisfying.
And on top of that, the fact that Ia Cōcha is on the cover is BIG DEAL for me.
It's so important to me that young readers also see women of color on the covers of books that they read. When I was younger, I looked up to Buffy, Xena, and Scully. I wanted to be just like them - heroic, confident, bold. But there was this dangerous mode of thinking, a parasite of a thought, that told me I could never actually be like them because I didn't look like them. My skin was dark, my Asian features were not like theirs. Instead, characters who looked like me were the background players, at most a brainy sidekick...so by default, I often took that part. I was quiet and studious, because I thought that was the role I had to play all throughout my life.
Being exposed to the depictions like these, there are certain narratives that we think we have to follow. It's hard to swim up against that current, loaded with stereotypes, expectations, and labels. These will hold you back only if you let it. So don't. Let. It.
But also don't resent who you are. Embrace your culture, your skin, your beautiful eyes. They make you who you are. So I love that Ia is on the cover, to show everyone that heroes can be short, Asian girls too. Ia Cōcha is for the readers who need her, so that they never doubt themselves.
You are fierce. You are bold. You can take on the universe.
If you wanna spread the love, here's the tweet for the cover reveal. Don't forget to sign up a chance to win a free ARC!!
EXCITING NEWS! Presenting the gorgeous cover for sci-fi YA debut IGNITE THE STARS by @MauraMilan. Coming 9/18. #yalit #giveaway #mustread
— Justine Magazine (@justinemagazine) February 20, 2018
PLUS win a signed ARC giveaway: https://t.co/NUc1IlXyaw
See behind the scene photos of the book cover shoot: https://t.co/iELpPyKduu pic.twitter.com/6HNpWHDclh
I'm so excited to finally announce my awesome big news. The YA Sci-Fi novel that I've been working on will be released by Albert Whitman (AW Teen) in Fall 2018!
Here's the link to the announcement for IGNITE THE STARS
I am so thrilled to bring Ia Cōcha's story to the world. She is wicked and rude and clever. But loyal and just in her own unique way. She's kinda my hero! And I hope you all like her as much as I do.
Stay tuned for more book news forever and ever!
For those of you are interested in dating or marrying writer, a word of caution. Writers can't turn their brains off.
For every road trip, airplane ride, dinner date, us writers will always be thinking about writing. And good luck having conversations with us, we'll nod and shake our heads to whatever you're saying, but what we're really thinking about it is how to get our main characters from Point A to Point B, how to kill off side characters, and how our blasted stories are going to end.
Here's a survival guide for anyone who has to deal with writers in their lives.
Matcha lattes are my personal favorite. But here's a few others to choose from: milk tea with boba, thai iced tea, soy lattes, raw smoothies with kale and dates, mocha frappucinos, champagne. The list goes on for eternity.
Writing is a very solitary act. And it can get lonely. So it's nice when someone asks us about our characters, our stories, our fictional boy crushes (yes, I've fallen for a few of my characters). Sometimes we need a "That's awesome!" from someone who will listen just to keep us sane.
Like I said before, writing is a very solitary act. Our stories and characters are very precious to us, even if it doesn't make sense to anyone else.
Don't give us writing advice unless we ask for it. Just a few words can knock us into the depths of despair.
Writers hate the sunshine. Even though we know that Vitamin D is very necessary to our health, we'd rather be nesting in a dark room, staring at a computer. And that's not because we're vampires or nightlurkers, it's mostly because we're writing, or trying to write while we stare at the blinking line of sadness/infinite possibilities on our Microsoft Word or Scrivener app. Even if we aren't clackity-clacking on our keyboards, we are still thinking. And to us, that is very important work before the work. We absolutely need this time!
So if you invite us somewhere, and we say no, please don't take offense!
Writing is filled with rejection. Most writers try to keep a stoic face, but eventually we all crack. Sentences like "The story didn't speak to me," "The writing isn't quite there yet," "I'm going to have to pass," will make us wither up like a dying bouquet of flowers.
But don't panic! After a good cry, we'll eventually feel better about ourselves.
'Nuff said.
