tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-109064352024-03-07T11:29:23.007-08:00Fresh HellWriting, games, life.Kira Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08123383491169702159noreply@blogger.comBlogger368125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10906435.post-65036916988187084562015-04-27T13:15:00.001-07:002015-04-27T13:15:18.713-07:00Where'd I Go?Hey folks, as is probably obvious, I haven't posted here regularly in a while, but you can still find me on the interwebs:<br />
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Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/sugarjonze">@sugarjonze</a><br />
Tumblr: <a href="http://sugarjonze.tumblr.com/">sugarjonze.tumblr.com</a><br />
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Pop on over and say hi!Kira Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08123383491169702159noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10906435.post-44084883864943786302014-05-02T14:05:00.000-07:002014-05-02T16:19:47.187-07:00THE 100 Live+3 Tweeting: "Contents Under Pressure""Contents Under Pressure," the first of the two episodes I co-wrote this season on <a href="http://www.cwtv.com/shows/the-100">THE 100</a>, aired on April 30. It was live-tweeted by a number of our fantastic cast and producers, but I did want to share some tidbits of my own.<br />
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Akela Cooper was my wonderful writing partner-in-crime on this episode, and she tweeted some cool behind the scenes photos if you want to scroll back through <a href="http://twitter.com/AkelaCooper">her Twitter timeline</a>.<br />
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(Missed the ep or want to rewatch as you read? <a href="http://www.cwtv.com/cw-video/the-100/">You can watch it online</a> for a couple more weeks -- the CW streams the most recent five episodes)<br />
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<ul>
<li><b>Windy pixels</b> - That cool storm outside at the beginning? All CGI courtesy of our vfx house Zoic (BSG, FIREFLY, too many others to list). This episode is what's called in the biz a "bottle show," meaning it's shot on our existing sets (putting production designer Matthew Budgeon's work deservedly in the spotlight). The ep's title is a tip of the hat to that.</li>
<li><b>Cat's out of the bag</b> - It was important to show that everyone on the Ark heard Raven's transmission from Earth. The Council's policy of secrecy is about to bite them in the rear...</li>
<li><b>Is there a doctor in the house?</b> - Not all writers like doing research, but all of us on THE 100 really do. I researched how Civil War doctors treated stab and arrow wounds to get a sense of what Clarke would be able to do with basically no supplies. We also got assistance from Hollywood, Health, & Society, an organization that works with TV and movie writers on health and medicine topics, in vetting the dialogue of Abby and Jackson as they talk Clarke through the procedure.</li>
<li><b>Hic! </b>- We wanted to thread in a mention of Monty's moonshine and the still he and Jasper built earlier in the season, but couldn't find an organic place for it. You haven't seen the last of Monty and Jasper's hobby, though, so stay tuned.</li>
<li><b>Speaking of, where's Monty and Jasper?</b> - In our minds, they went out to get some of that antibiotic seaweed from ep 103 for Finn. Ultimately, since it's not important for the story, we just mention that they're out and about and move on. There's limited time in these episodes to tell a lot of story, so the inessential gets trimmed out.</li>
<li><b>Solar cells</b> - Torches look cool, but it's tricky and limiting to shoot with them indoors. Raven to the rescue! In other episodes, you can sometimes catch a glimpse of other solar cells in the outdoors camp set.</li>
<li><b>So Say We All</b> - Mad, mad love for BATTLESTAR GALACTICA from all of us on THE 100. So excited that Alessandro Juliani (Gaeta/Sinclair) and Kate Vernon (Ellen Tigh/Diana Sydney) are in the cast!</li>
<li><b>The Grounder's journal</b> - As EP/creator Jason Rothenberg has said, the journal is full of Easter Eggs. Including a hint about the Grounder's name, which we'll learn soon.</li>
<li><b>Wire sutures</b> - Yep, this is a real thing. Hardcore, right?</li>
<li><b>Call poison control</b> - I based the poison on manchineel tree sap, a real poison used by indigenous people of the Caribbean and Florida. Arrowroot is the antidote, taken orally or as a poultice. Thomas McDonell (Finn) did research on seizure behavior and symptoms for his frightening "code blue" moment.</li>
<li><b>"This is not who we are" </b>- Just wanted to say how much I've enjoyed reading the online discussion and debate on this issue: when, if ever, is torture acceptable? Getting people thinking and talking about the "what if/what would I do" in these extreme situations on Earth and the Ark has been one of our goals for the show from the start.</li>
<li><b>Post-apocalyptic chic</b> - Call me girly, but I just love Diana's outfit. Thumbholes are cool! Katia Stano's costuming on the show is so impressive. The Grounders, the repurposed clothing on the Ark and Earth... Can't wait to see the Comic-Con cosplay. ;) </li>
<li><b>Music to torture by</b> - Composer Evan Frankfort's score on the show artfully underscores the emotion of the scenes without dominating them. Those skittering strings when Raven yanks out the wires... Chills.</li>
<li><b>Keep those hankies handy</b> - How amazing are Isaiah Washington (Jaha), Paige Turco (Abby), and Henry Ian Cusick (Kane) in this episode? The incredible good news that the Hundred are alive and that Earth is survivable also crushes all three of them with terrible, shattering truths. I <i>still </i>choke up during their scenes.</li>
<li><b>So much unsaid</b> - Some of the best moments in this episode, IMO, don't have any lines! All those powerful looks between Eliza Taylor (Clarke), Thomas, and Lindsey Morgan (Raven)... between Bob Morley (Bellamy), Marie Avgeropolous (Octavia), and the Grounder (Ricky Whittle)... A+ performances all around.</li>
<li><b>We're out! </b>- On a bottle episode you don't always get to shoot outside the standing sets, but we're really glad we were able to here for this one scene. Getting Clarke and Bellamy out of the claustrophobic dropship, once the "pressure" is off and left to face their various messes, really opens up the end of the show.</li>
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And, as many of you noticed, no one died! It's one of our "lighter" eps-- heh.</div>
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Massive thanks and congrats to our cast, crew, post team, and director John Showalter for their hard and excellent work on "Contents Under Pressure."Kira Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08123383491169702159noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10906435.post-51153480994214006052014-05-01T12:32:00.000-07:002014-05-01T12:32:14.450-07:00EMPOWER: Fight Like a Girl<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #37404e; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Cool stories, great cause! <a href="http://www.amazon.com/empower-fight-like-girl-words-ebook/dp/B00K0VQ7TM">EMPOWER: FIGHT LIKE A GIRL</a>, a short story anthology celebrating female badassery, is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/empower-fight-like-girl-words-ebook/dp/B00K0VQ7TM">now available on Amazon</a> for just $4.99 -- all proceeds will go to the Lupus Foundation of America.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #37404e; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #37404e; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #37404e; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Read stories from</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #37404e; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #37404e; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;">women TV writers including: Amy Berg, Cherry Chevapravatdumrong, Akela Cooper, Liz Edwards, Jane Espenson, Shalisha Francis & Nadine Knight, Lisa Klink, Pang-Ni Landrum, Lauren LeFranc, Kam Miller, Jess Pineda, Jennifer Quintenz, Lisa Randolph, Kay Reindl, Jeane Wong... and me!</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #37404e; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #37404e; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;">I'm honored to be included in such illustrious company. Please help us support this important research to end an awful disease.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #37404e; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #37404e; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;"></span></span>
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Kira Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08123383491169702159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10906435.post-11866070089907267432013-11-19T00:10:00.000-08:002013-11-20T22:46:20.585-08:00Season's Greetings Is Here!<span style="font-size: large;">Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays…</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.coliloquy.com/products/seasons-greetings/"><i>Parish Mail: Season's Greetings</i> is <b>now available</b></a>! </span><br />
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<a href="http://www.coliloquy.com/products/seasons-greetings/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy1Mgcpz0k-2R8TJhHygfV4mhH5v_QXCdZIlqxw3LJRR4OH3kog9p1NTqS2YVRvnFllUZ2cpxwWSYrmuDbl14bM-pnEk1RxhSRiVYGn0Y7IJKK20oR3GcsxgJTLmdCRTAY4RfM/s200/PMXmas+300.jpg" width="132" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.coliloquy.com/products/seasons-greetings/">Click here to pick up your own copy</a> of the newest Parish Mail interactive YA supernatural adventure, available on digital platforms including Kindle, Nook, and iBooks.<br />
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It's Christmas in New Orleans! Magic, romance, and holiday spirit -- of the ghostly variety -- are in the air as you help Celia race to solve a paranormal mystery before Christmas Day.<br />
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Starting this week, <i>Season's Greetings</i> will be making a <b>grand tour of the blogosphere</b> courtesy of some of the best book bloggers on the internet:<br />
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">11/20 - <a href="http://www.coliloquy.com/2013/11/20/seasons-greeting/">Coliloquy</a></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">11/20 - <a href="http://www.purpinkrosesbookcorner.blogspot.com/">Purpkinroses Book Corner</a></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">11/21 - </span><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="http://contagiousreads.com/">Contagious Reads</a></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">11/22 - </span><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="http://www.iamareader.com/">I'm a Reader not a Writer</a></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">11/23 - </span><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="http://www.silverpetticoatreview.com/">Silver Petticoat Review</a></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">11/24 - </span><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="http://nickypeacockauthor.wordpress.com/">Nicky Peacock</a></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">11/25 - </span><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="http://youngadultmag.com/Browse/Article/3567/New-GREETINGS-from-Parish-Mail">YA Magazine</a></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">11/26 - </span><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="http://mybookishfairytale.blogspot.ca/">My Bookish Fairytale</a></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">11/27 - </span><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="http://burningximpossiblyxbright.blogspot.com/">Burning Impossibly Bright</a></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">11/28 - </span><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="http://verbvixen.tumblr.com/">Verb Vixen</a></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">11/29 -<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.vailiapageturner.blogspot.com/">Vailia's Page Turner</a></span></li>
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There's more... to celebrate the book's launch, we're holding another<b> fantastic giveaway</b>. Enter below for your chance to <b>win</b> your very own copy of <i>Season's Greetings</i> as well as the one-of-a-kind Grand Prize: this <b>gorgeous handmade necklace</b> inspired by Parish Mail's bonewood tree! This is the mailbox tree where Celia finds the antique letters, re-imagined here in silver-filled wire and Swarovski crystal garnet beads.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxWnaFLc7WZz4UpoVOrhsPgEOPLLjUWRgJWnxa0Sq73wfXPIxsqhwVvPEM_sHHn37d1Wm7AxM-g3LEeIMPcm95Q59O5Sk9dBuyhhcgbZlc9VCkkH849ULDosdCRP95-RDCB2rO/s1600/photo+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxWnaFLc7WZz4UpoVOrhsPgEOPLLjUWRgJWnxa0Sq73wfXPIxsqhwVvPEM_sHHn37d1Wm7AxM-g3LEeIMPcm95Q59O5Sk9dBuyhhcgbZlc9VCkkH849ULDosdCRP95-RDCB2rO/s400/photo+1.JPG" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click to see a larger version of this photo.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">(The necklace was made by my good friend Amanda. She has a cameo in <i>Season's Greetings</i> but is a real person -- <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/tvc15">you can see more of her beautiful jewelry at her Etsy store</a>.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Enter the giveaway via the Rafflecopter widget below. Good luck!</span><br />
<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/e230366/" id="rc-e230366" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
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Deck the halls and ring those jingle bells, Christmas is here! I hope you enjoy reading this festive holiday story as much as I enjoyed writing it. Tip: <i><a href="http://www.coliloquy.com/products/seasons-greetings/">Season's Greetings</a></i> goes great with a cup of cocoa and a cozy fire…<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>Kira Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08123383491169702159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10906435.post-68664461565331863282013-11-05T08:00:00.000-08:002013-11-05T10:28:35.673-08:00Season's Greetings: The Cover Revealed! And a Giveaway, Too!I'm thrilled to finally share the cover for <i>Season's Greetings, </i>the newest Parish Mail interactive YA mystery:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy1Mgcpz0k-2R8TJhHygfV4mhH5v_QXCdZIlqxw3LJRR4OH3kog9p1NTqS2YVRvnFllUZ2cpxwWSYrmuDbl14bM-pnEk1RxhSRiVYGn0Y7IJKK20oR3GcsxgJTLmdCRTAY4RfM/s1600/PMXmas+300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy1Mgcpz0k-2R8TJhHygfV4mhH5v_QXCdZIlqxw3LJRR4OH3kog9p1NTqS2YVRvnFllUZ2cpxwWSYrmuDbl14bM-pnEk1RxhSRiVYGn0Y7IJKK20oR3GcsxgJTLmdCRTAY4RfM/s400/PMXmas+300.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click image to see a larger version!</td></tr>
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I LOVE the vintage Christmas card that the folks at Coliloquy found. It's warm and festive but also a little creepy. Why are there no people in the room? Where did they go? Hmm... </div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span">And I think it's so cool how the red ribbon ties in with the bloody covers of <a href="http://www.coliloquy.com/productscat/parish-mail/"><i>Dead Letter Office</i> and <i>Post Mortem</i></a> while being more fitted to the<i> </i>murder-free story. Don't worry, though: while the mayhem may be taking a vacation in </span><i>Season's Greetings</i><span class="Apple-style-span">, Celia finds plenty of supernatural chills and magical thrills in holiday-time New Orleans. Not to mention romance...</span></div>
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To celebrate the cover reveal, Coliloquy is getting into the holiday spirit early, giving away <b>Amazon gift cards</b> and <b>Parish Mail book bundles</b>! Enter below for your chance to win.</div>
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<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/e230364/" id="rc-e230364" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
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Kira Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08123383491169702159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10906435.post-40308752097352849192013-10-31T19:09:00.000-07:002013-10-31T19:22:11.355-07:00Christmas Is Coming... In NovemberThe Parish Mail Christmas mystery <i>Season's Greetings</i>, that is. I'm thrilled to announce the release date for Celia Macarty's newest interactive adventure in supernatural New Orleans:<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Tuesday, November 19</span></div>
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And what would the holidays be without presents? Here are some of the goodies in store for you:</div>
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<ul>
<li><b>Cover reveal</b> - Next week we'll unveil the cool cover image for <i>Season's Greetings</i>.</li>
<li><b>Pre-launch giveaway</b> - At the same time as the cover reveal, you'll have the chance to <b>win Amazon gift cards and Parish Mail book bundles</b> courtesy of my publisher Coliloquy! Check back here on my blog on Tuesday, 11/5 to enter.</li>
<li><b>Blog tour</b> - The end of November will be chock full of reviews and interviews all over the Web. I'll post the schedule here.</li>
<li><b>Post-launch giveaway</b> - Stay tuned for details about your chance to win an incredible one-of-a-kind prize after<i> Season's Greetings</i> comes out. I'm REALLY excited about this giveaway, and you will be too. Promise.</li>
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Plus, here's a stocking stuffer to tide you over, the OFFICIAL synopsis of<i> Season's Greetings</i>, hot off the press (well, the Coliloquy website):<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; line-height: 24px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; line-height: 24px;"> </span></div>
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<blockquote>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; line-height: 24px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Celia Macarty is eager to enjoy her first New Orleans Christmas, but school has barely let out for the holidays when she learns that mystery never takes a vacation. Using the clues on a Christmas card from 1933, Celia must unravel a supernatural riddle that takes her all over festive New Orleans—and deeper into her family’s past. As Christmas Eve draws closer, shameful community secrets come to light, and Celia enlists an unlikely ally to set things right.</span></span></blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; line-height: 24px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">With the help of her witchy best friend Tilly and a trio of to-die-for suitors, Celia navigates a mystery and, in the process, her heart. Because in the Crescent City, Christmas is a time of enchantment and surprises, and a little romance might be Celia’s best present of all.</span></span></blockquote>
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Celia’s latest <em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Parish Mail</em> adventure is an active fiction title from Coliloquy. Your reading choices will help Celia solve the crime!</blockquote>
Don't forget, you can dive into the <a href="http://www.coliloquy.com/productscat/parish-mail/">Parish Mail series</a> with <i>Season's Greetings</i>, or catch up with Books 1 and 2, <i> Dead Letter Office</i> and <i>Post Mortem</i> (you have time!)</span></span></div>
Kira Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08123383491169702159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10906435.post-21829664079278181912013-10-17T14:47:00.000-07:002013-10-17T14:50:09.987-07:00Join the Parish Mail Street Team!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib5qwUsamJTZ5Pn4LXbqmOXH7NTyP4fswuKPwetDvSxdgNWQYpzhWn9No-pBhH88g8dq5S-znRRBYDpZViLdFWRvSMpcAE6nolwRXS4nCqE0_tbO6l4U-OCifT5Md_JPf1O1Jt/s1600/christmas-elves.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib5qwUsamJTZ5Pn4LXbqmOXH7NTyP4fswuKPwetDvSxdgNWQYpzhWn9No-pBhH88g8dq5S-znRRBYDpZViLdFWRvSMpcAE6nolwRXS4nCqE0_tbO6l4U-OCifT5Md_JPf1O1Jt/s200/christmas-elves.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image from www.dragoart.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We're looking for a few good elves to help get the word out about PMX, aka <i><b>Parish Mail: Season's Greetings</b>,</i> teen detective </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Celia Macarty's latest adventure in supernatural New Orleans. This s</span>pecial new Christmas mystery in the <a href="http://www.coliloquy.com/productscat/parish-mail/">Parish Mail universe</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> is coming out soon, and you can help spread the news as a member of the </span><b style="font-family: inherit;">Parish Mail Street Team</b><span style="font-family: inherit;">!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Parish Mail Street Team members will get some nifty perks from my publisher, <a href="http://www.coliloquy.com/">Coliloquy</a>:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Access to exclusive content like ARCs and cover art before anyone else.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Chance to interact with the author. (that's me!)</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Participate in the book's blog tour with other amazing bloggers.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Win great prizes!</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">To join, just email <a href="mailto:parishmail@coliloquy.com">parishmail@coliloquy.com</a><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">or tweet to <a href="http://twitter.com/ColiloquyAimee">@ColiloquyAimee</a> for an invitation.</span></span></div>
Kira Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08123383491169702159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10906435.post-68119486864003360812013-10-11T12:34:00.001-07:002013-10-13T13:06:15.878-07:00Lit Crawl in San Francisco on Saturday, Oct. 19<span style="font-family: inherit;">Bars and books... what could be better? </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Coliloquy is one of the participants for San Francisco's Lit Crawl on<b> Saturday, October 19</b>, and I'll be there along with fellow authors Heidi Kling and Travis Sentell. We'll be at </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 21px;"><b>The Liberties Bar and Restaurant, 998 Guerrero St., from 7:15pm-8:15pm</b>.</span><br />
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Drop by for an evening of interactive fun -- I'm planning to read a sneak peek from <i>Parish Mail: Season's Greetings</i>, the special Christmas installment of Parish Mail that will be out in a few short weeks<i>.</i> Hope to see you there!<br />
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<a href="http://litcrawl.org/sf/events/53-coliloquy-presents-bad-boys-good-decisions/">Read all the details here!</a>Kira Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08123383491169702159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10906435.post-36149637482662452692013-08-13T13:30:00.001-07:002013-10-11T12:30:33.245-07:00Dead Letter Office Up for Discussion on GoodReadsAre you a <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/">GoodReads</a> member? Are you looking for a book club where you can talk about all the twists and turns of <a href="http://www.coliloquy.com/products/dead-letter-office/">Dead Letter Office</a>?<br />
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If you join The Next Best Book Club group on GoodReads you can <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/86117-which-book-would-you-like-to-see-become-the-october-themed-group-read">vote for DLO to be their October read</a>! But hurry, <b>voting ends Wednesday, August 14</b>.<br />
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<b>UPDATE:</b> DLO won! Thank you all for your votes. Be sure to join the club to jump into the discussion.Kira Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08123383491169702159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10906435.post-48647458754669143492013-07-29T12:00:00.000-07:002013-07-29T14:57:02.832-07:00The Next Parish Mail Revealed!All right, I've dropped <a href="http://what-fresh-hell-is-this.blogspot.com/2013/07/the-next-parish-mail-clues-so-far.html">seven hints</a> so far about the new Parish Mail book, codenamed PMX. Have you figured it out?<br />
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Here's a photo clue to make it crystal clear:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwv9EQcVR3H1Ai5Xit6MCGBGEZy9vPD6y2PJRgBM5g0g9OBeRWqzNLs8-qCw0Ay0xhjEE0RUj7Bb1mt-53zJEG51ZXGkn0K9LYuyZVrdFCO4d9L1y5AwHKcFpay-NJ2PxMo9vG/s1600/peace-yall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwv9EQcVR3H1Ai5Xit6MCGBGEZy9vPD6y2PJRgBM5g0g9OBeRWqzNLs8-qCw0Ay0xhjEE0RUj7Bb1mt-53zJEG51ZXGkn0K9LYuyZVrdFCO4d9L1y5AwHKcFpay-NJ2PxMo9vG/s320/peace-yall.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image from gonola.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
That's right, the next interactive paranormal mystery in the <a href="http://www.coliloquy.com/productscat/parish-mail/">Parish Mail series</a> for teens is going to be a<b> Christmas tale</b>! As you may have guessed, <b>PMX is short for Parish Mail Xmas</b> (Hint #6).<br />
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I'm really excited about this new book, even though listening to Christmas music as I write (Hint #1) is kind of scrambling my brain. It is July, after all, and "Half-Christmas," June 25 (Hint #5), is not an actual holiday.<br />
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I'm trying something new with PMX that's one reason it's not named PM3. PMX is going to be a "short story," shorter in length than Dead Letter Office and Post Mortem -- with an appropriate price, of course -- but with the same gamelike interactivity that's a signature of the series (Hint #2). Think of it as a stocking stuffer.<br />
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This fluid approach to releasing books is one of the great things about working with a digital publisher like <a href="http://www.coliloquy.com/">Coliloquy</a>. A traditional publishing house with printing, inventory, and shipping costs is not likely to get on board with a nontraditional-length book and varying price points (Hint #3). And don't you worry about getting another full-sized Parish Mail story. Book 3, a.k.a. PM3, is scheduled to come out in early 2014.<br />
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PMX will be a standalone story taking place within the same timeline as Dead Letter Office and Post Mortem, which means you don't need to have read the earlier books to enjoy PMX. But if you have, the Christmas story will be that much deeper and more interesting. It's also going to be a bit lighter in subject matter and tone than the earlier two books. I was inspired by the Sherlock Holmes story "The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle" by Arthur Conan Doyle. Set during Christmas, it's lighter on the ol' murder and mayhem than the other Sherlock mysteries (Hint #4).<br />
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PMX may be less creepy and scary than the other Parish Mail books, but I promise it will be full of magic, romance, and holiday spirit-- of both the emotional and ghostly varieties. Look for it later this year on all the platforms where you can find Coliloquy books.<br />
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And here's a clue to keep in your pocket: The Twelve Days of Christmas (Hint #7) is important...<br />
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Follow me on Twitter<a href="http://twitter.com/sugarjonze"> @sugarjonze</a> for more teases, news, etc. as I work on PMX!Kira Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08123383491169702159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10906435.post-52540357668083409432013-07-26T08:35:00.000-07:002013-07-26T08:33:26.906-07:00The Next Parish Mail: The Clues So FarI'm hard at work on the next <a href="http://www.coliloquy.com/productscat/parish-mail/">Parish Mail</a> book, and this one's got a unique angle that I'm really excited about. All will be revealed on <b>Monday, July 29</b>, but here are some hints to get you guessing:<br />
<ol>
<li>It has its own soundtrack.</li>
<li>It's got some special characteristics in terms of both format and content.</li>
<li>It's a concept I discussed very early on with my publishers at Coliloquy, before even coming on board as an author, and is pretty much unique to ebook publishing.</li>
<li>It's inspired (but not based on) one of the lesser-known Sherlock Holmes mysteries by Arthur Conan Doyle.</li>
<li>It's related to a "holiday" celebrated one day during the week of June 23-29. Quotation marks intentional.</li>
<li>I and Coliloquy often use shorthand in emails when discussing the Parish Mail books: Dead Letter Office was PM1 and Post Mortem was PM2. This book's shorthand, however is <i>PMX.</i></li>
</ol>
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And the<b> FINAL HINT:</b></div>
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<b>If I was doing this right, there would be 12 hints instead of 7<i>.</i></b><br />
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Watch this space on Monday for the reveal of PMX, as well as answers to questions about these hints!</div>
Kira Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08123383491169702159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10906435.post-85278283199843943372013-07-01T12:23:00.001-07:002013-07-01T12:24:45.501-07:00Coliloquy Goodreads GroupDid you know that my publisher Coliloquy has a <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/100361-the-coliloquy-book-group">group on Goodreads</a>? Join today for exclusive goodies such as giveaways, members-only sales and promotions, sneak previews, breaking news on all their books (including mine!), and more.Kira Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08123383491169702159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10906435.post-4926410254234780802013-06-27T14:51:00.002-07:002013-06-27T14:51:34.501-07:00Follow Me on Twitter!The Gadget that I had in this blog's sidebar to update with my tweets appears not to be supported any more by Blogger, alas. But please do <a href="http://twitter.com/sugarjonze">follow me on Twitter</a> for musings about The 100, Parish Mail, writing, games, life in Los Angeles, and other randomness.Kira Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08123383491169702159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10906435.post-29190136252801422682013-06-24T10:06:00.000-07:002013-06-24T10:06:20.551-07:00"Spexism": Gender and Spec Screenplay SalesIt seems that whenever I read about a spec screenplay sale in the trades, in pretty much every case the screenwriter is male. Turns out it's not confirmation bias, it's true.<br />
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Susana Orozco dug through the stats for Go Into the Story, and their cool if sobering <a href="http://gointothestory.blcklst.com/2013/06/gender-as-represented-in-spec-script-sales.html">infographic</a> starkly lays out gender disparity in the spec market, a worse gap than in <a href="http://www.wga.org/subpage_whoweare.aspx?id=922">TV writing</a>, which is saying something. Spec script sales for women hit a new low in 2012, with 12 scripts sold by women out of 127 total.<br />
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Entertainment website The Wrap picked up the story, which it names "<a href="http://www.thewrap.com/movies/article/spexism-sales-female-penned-spec-scripts-hit-new-low-98966">Spexism</a>."<br />
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I'd be interested to see the genre breakdown of those 12 sales: I wonder if they're the more typically "female" types of movies such as family dramas and romantic comedies. Of course, there are female screenwriters who work in traditionally male genres such as science fiction, action, and comedy (including The Heat's Katie Dippold), but we've got a long way to go for parity for women and writers of color. The diversity of movies we watch can only be helped by diversity all along the line, in front of and behind the camera.<br />
<br />Kira Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08123383491169702159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10906435.post-48783405753083340432013-06-17T13:09:00.001-07:002013-06-17T13:09:42.987-07:00Seasonal Defective Disorder<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeSe8ztF8yiia3l1vMZwuHm_7-lLwFlQT6wEIFUSu6TrYTJXQIAVWkzrTWQR9IBZ3n3M_hyphenhyphenEWRROGcQuNF3USEPvjTXojra7UjIhvulJBzwjeQXs3OzrVm2XW-B-0MNMa265Mz/s1600/the-100-clip-the-cw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeSe8ztF8yiia3l1vMZwuHm_7-lLwFlQT6wEIFUSu6TrYTJXQIAVWkzrTWQR9IBZ3n3M_hyphenhyphenEWRROGcQuNF3USEPvjTXojra7UjIhvulJBzwjeQXs3OzrVm2XW-B-0MNMa265Mz/s320/the-100-clip-the-cw.jpg" width="275" /></a></div>
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Chalk it up to school or years working as a writer, but my psychological sense of the seasons is all screwed up. And and that's leaving aside living in Los Angeles, where the weather is consistent (and pleasant) enough to more or less obliterate your sense of time passing.<br />
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For example, spring makes me sad. Usually a season that means that the world is blooming and starting anew, spring to me feels like things are ending: the school year, the theater season, the writers' room for many TV shows.<br />
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But fall, on the other hand... even as the world starts turning to winter, it's fall that feels like excitement and anticipation, not spring, because things are kicking off. Students go back to school. Theater companies start rehearsals for their new plays. And in cable TV, where I've worked for the last several years, fall is when a number of writers' rooms get going.<br />
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This year, for the first time since working on MOONLIGHT for CBS, I have reason to feel that autumnal giddy sense of new beginnings in the <i>summertime</i>. I've just started working on a new TV show coming to the CW for midseason called <b>THE 100</b>, based on the upcoming YA novel by Kass Morgan. If you like the CW's unique blend of sexy and edgy combined with cool genre/sci fi elements (think BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, THE WALKING DEAD, and LOST) you're going to love THE 100.<br />
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Check out this awesome trailer:</div>
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<center>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/nCWuEjXcZfo" width="560"></iframe></center>
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I can't wait for you all to see more -- it's going to be fantastic.<br />
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And as if that's not enough, I have another new project to announce: I've just broken ground on the next <b><a href="http://www.coliloquy.com/productscat/parish-mail/">Parish Mail</a></b>! I'll be sharing more about it soon, but this episode is something I talked to the Coliloquy folks about right when we discussed my coming on board as an author. It's got a special angle both in terms of format and content that we're all excited about. It's scrambling my brain a little bit (in a fun way), and I'll explain why soon.<br />
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So, lots of new stuff starting. Summer is the new spring! (or fall. See, I told you I was screwed up...)<br />
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What about you? Do you adore blustery, cozy wintertime? Hate hot, hazy summer? Discuss in the comments.Kira Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08123383491169702159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10906435.post-63360135874330767302013-06-09T17:31:00.002-07:002013-06-09T17:31:57.327-07:00Parish Mail Comes to iBooks and KoboI'm excited to announce that Dead Letter Office and Post Mortem are now available in yet more places:<br />
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<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/dead-letter-office-parish/id653014558?mt=11">Dead Letter Office on iBooks</a><br />
<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/post-mortem-parish-mail-2/id654842809?mt=11">Post Mortem on iBooks</a><br />
<a href="http://www.kobobooks.com/search/search.html?q=kira+snyder">Both Parish Mail books on Kobo</a><br />
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And DLO is still on sale for 99 cents across all platforms, but not for long...Kira Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08123383491169702159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10906435.post-81270103826442630452013-03-28T09:24:00.000-07:002013-03-29T13:16:19.873-07:00Easter Eggs, Post Mortem-Style<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixv87OYLCoZVJg_Ppm8_f6dpQY2zkPOoIBG7nRlH7qiTe_TLyOk2Z1evf7fazLjn5jlUCGz1E8K0_l3apEgT8BsRa1lxIlt2H2J1rGsrBJYKGiUxrl84SFSCNTTwMGAg6nZAKg6Q/s1600/easter-egg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixv87OYLCoZVJg_Ppm8_f6dpQY2zkPOoIBG7nRlH7qiTe_TLyOk2Z1evf7fazLjn5jlUCGz1E8K0_l3apEgT8BsRa1lxIlt2H2J1rGsrBJYKGiUxrl84SFSCNTTwMGAg6nZAKg6Q/s320/easter-egg.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Not many writers can resist slipping in-jokes and homages into what they write-- I certainly can't. In honor of Sunday's holiday, here are a few of the Easter Eggs you can find in <a href="http://www.coliloquy.com/products/post-mortem/"><b>Parish Mail #2, Post Mortem</b></a>.<br />
<ul>
<li>The street where Beauchamp's House of Voodoo is located is named after the city where I wrote both <a href="http://www.coliloquy.com/products/post-mortem/"><b>Post Mortem</b></a> and <a href="http://www.coliloquy.com/products/dead-letter-office/"><b>Dead Letter Office</b></a>. </li>
<li>The look of the mailbox tree in the series is an homage to the special trees in the <b>Song of Ice and Fire</b> books (and the <b>Game of Thrones</b> HBO series) by George R. R. Martin. </li>
<li>Celia's description of the Fleur-de-Lis Sisterhood in the dinner scene with her grandparents and Tilly contains a shout-out to <b>Alphas</b>, a TV show I worked on. It's one of Gary's signature lines.</li>
<li>If you choose the incorrect path in Chapter 8 for Celia and Tilly to investigate, they'll end up at a location that's an homage to an infamous spot in the TV show<b> Breaking Bad</b>, one of my favorite shows.</li>
<li>Depending on the choices you make, you might meet a ferocious Rottweiler who's named after the childhood pet of a good friend. The name's the only thing the two dogs have in common -- the real version was a fairly dim Cocker Spaniel and in no way ferocious, I'm told.</li>
<li>Celia's wry words to Tilly in Chapter 11 just as they're about to head into danger include a subtle <b>Eureka</b> reference, another TV show I worked on. Sheriff Carter uses this phrase to describe a terrifying robot. (I didn't write the line, by the way: Co-Executive Producers Terri Hughes Burton and Ron Milbauer did)</li>
<li>The name of Celia's mom's band is the name of my band in the videogame Rock Band (and is also another <b>Alphas/Eureka</b> in-joke, one that's too hard to explain...).</li>
</ul>
Happy hunting, and Happy Easter! <br />
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<br />Kira Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08123383491169702159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10906435.post-29290282461709878112013-03-25T13:14:00.000-07:002013-03-25T13:14:32.673-07:00Goodreads Giveaway: DLO Hard CopyFrom March 25 through April 26, you can enter on Goodreads to <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/48301-dead-letter-office">win a limited edition print copy of Dead Letter Office</a>! How is that? I don't even have one of those! (Hmm, maybe I should enter myself...)<br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/48301-dead-letter-office">Enter today and good luck!</a>Kira Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08123383491169702159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10906435.post-71453763950957121812013-03-11T13:20:00.002-07:002013-03-11T13:20:25.797-07:00Dead Letter Office Gets an "A"!<br />
A big thank you to Verb Vixen for her <a href="http://tmblr.co/ZLwhSyg0lEsv">review of Dead Letter Office</a>.<br />
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<blockquote>
<em>Do you like:</em><br /><em>New Orleans? Ghost stories? History?
Mysteries? Choose your own adventures? Stories set in high school?
Magic? Swoon worthy boys? Girls with gumption?</em><br />
<em>If you replied yes to ANY of the above then you’re going to love <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13415915-dead-letter-office" target="_blank">Dead Letter Office</a>!</em></blockquote>
Kate also calls out the book's NOLA setting and interactivity for a positive mention, and I just love this description of Celia:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
[Celia] is recklessly brave, endearingly hopeful and most of shines with an
inner strength and resolve that we often don’t see in heroines in
contemporary YA these days. </blockquote>
<a href="http://tmblr.co/ZLwhSyg0lEsv">Check out the full review!</a> <br />
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Kira Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08123383491169702159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10906435.post-23642495885836708682013-03-07T16:31:00.000-08:002013-03-07T16:31:04.055-08:00FREE Coliloquy Ebooks for Women's History MonthI'm honored to have Dead Letter Office included in a <a href="http://www.coliloquy.com/2013/03/07/coliloquy-celebrates-international-womens-day-with-free-books-about-women-we-love/">wonderful giveaway</a> my publisher Coliloquy is holding in honor of Women's History Month and International Women's Day. Just email them for a copy of DLO or several other terrific interactive titles.<br />
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<a href="http://www.coliloquy.com/2013/03/07/coliloquy-celebrates-international-womens-day-with-free-books-about-women-we-love/">Check out all the details on Coliloquy's blog!</a>Kira Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08123383491169702159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10906435.post-74822262919048421882013-02-28T17:35:00.002-08:002013-02-28T17:35:37.901-08:00Post Mortem Interview and GiveawayI'm thrilled to return to the I Am a Reader Not a Writer blog for a <a href="http://www.iamareader.com/2013/02/post-mortem-by-kira-snyder-interview.html">brand-new interview</a>, in which I confess my secret personal kryptonite, share some writing tips, and reveal the weirdest thing I ever ate (trust me, it's about a 9 on the weirdometer).<br />
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And that's not all: you can <a href="http://www.iamareader.com/2013/02/post-mortem-by-kira-snyder-interview.html">register for a chance to win a copy of Post Mortem</a>!Kira Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08123383491169702159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10906435.post-54856304629228940582013-02-25T15:49:00.000-08:002013-02-25T15:49:50.097-08:00Parish Mail Kindle Giveaway on GoodreadsFrom now through March 4, if you write a review for <a href="http://www.coliloquy.com/products/dead-letter-office/">Dead Letter Offic</a>e on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006T539LW">Amazon</a> or <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13415915-dead-letter-office">Goodreads</a>, you'll be entered to win a Kindle from my publisher, Coliloquy!<br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/event/show/879787-parish-mail-kindle-giveaway">Check out all the details on Goodreads here.</a><br />
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And stay tuned for more promos, giveaways, and other goodies when Post Mortem -- <a href="http://www.coliloquy.com/products/post-mortem/">available now for download</a> -- officially launches on Feb. 26.Kira Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08123383491169702159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10906435.post-40828897600298971472013-02-11T13:31:00.000-08:002013-02-11T13:31:03.318-08:00Post Mortem Now Available!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWtuHMUmL-OYSq8oKXMjLFGE30SqFiLqRxvd1IZr3-BZvaz_m5L4V-dPfpm-dsxMXVMhcnd6EkrGVpqqCHaAbtV1DCvrz3IsJd-nWASN4x01uHEPPBdZTBo-OQZzdCdjmZOCJF/s1600/POST+MORTEM_600+x+800.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWtuHMUmL-OYSq8oKXMjLFGE30SqFiLqRxvd1IZr3-BZvaz_m5L4V-dPfpm-dsxMXVMhcnd6EkrGVpqqCHaAbtV1DCvrz3IsJd-nWASN4x01uHEPPBdZTBo-OQZzdCdjmZOCJF/s320/POST+MORTEM_600+x+800.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Get ready for Homecoming and mayhem!<i> Post Mortem</i>, Book 2 of my interactive young adult mystery series <i>Parish Mail</i>, is <a href="http://www.coliloquy.com/products/post-mortem/"><b>now available</b></a> for your Kindle, Nook, Android device, and -- for the first time -- the Kindle app, which means you can read the book on your iPad or iPhone. Nifty, huh?<br />
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<a href="http://www.coliloquy.com/products/post-mortem/">Download the book now</a> to dive into Celia's New Orleans, a city full of magic and ghosts. When a friend vanishes just before Homecoming, Celia's convinced that a letter about a Civil War-era murder is the key to solving the mystery. Decide who will investigate with Celia -- roguish Donovan or enigmatic Luc -- and help her and BFF witch Tilly follow the clues to solve an unspeakable crime. The choices you make will determine if the killer is caught or escapes.<br />
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Hope you enjoy reading the book as much as I enjoyed writing it.<br />
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(Did you miss Book 1, <i>Dead Letter Office?</i> No worries, you can <a href="http://www.coliloquy.com/products/dead-letter-office/">download it here</a>. And check out the Goodreads pages for <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13415915-dead-letter-office"><i>Dead Letter Office</i></a> and <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17303111-post-mortem-parish-mail-2"><i>Post Mortem</i></a> to join the Parish Mail community! )<br />
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Kira Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08123383491169702159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10906435.post-37990276635277959652012-11-27T09:44:00.001-08:002012-11-27T09:44:06.043-08:00Tagged: The Next Big Thing<div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I was recently tagged by my friend, the talented <a href="http://www.clarkblog.typepad.com/">Clark Perry</a>, in a viral blog thread for writers called The Next Big Thing. Below are my answers to TNBT's ten questions -- I'll follow up soon with links to other participating writers' answers, so you can read about their cool upcoming projects.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1) What is the working title of your next book?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.coliloquy.com/products/post-mortem/"><i> Post Mortem: Parish Mail 2</i></a>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">It's the second book in my Parish Mail series. <a href="http://www.coliloquy.com/products/dead-letter-office/"><i>Dead Letter Office</i></a> is the first book, and is available now on Kindle, Nook, and Android devices.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>2) Where did the idea come from for the book?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Parish Mail </i>is a series about a contemporary teenager in New Orleans who discovers a cache of centuries-old letters containing clues to crimes happening in the present day. <br /><br />I’ve always been interested in urban history, cities where the very new and the very old exist side by side. In America we don’t have many of these places, but New Orleans is one, and is unique also in its cultural evolution and everyday acceptance of the supernatural.<br /><br />I also love the related notion of history repeating itself: the ghosts of not just people but events tracking through time. In the <i>Parish Mail</i> series, when Celia, a thoroughly modern girl, finds these letters – or when they find her – she learns how the past and present can collide and gets a better appreciation for both.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>3) What genre does your book fall under?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Young Adult; a mashup of urban fantasy, mystery, and Southern Gothic.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>4) What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Hmm, good question... <i>Post Mortem's </i>characters are mostly teenagers so I'd have to do a little time-traveling to get some of the actors at the right age for a TV or movie version. But here goes:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Celia - Confession time. I actually never describe what Celia looks like, and this is intentional. Because the book is written in the first person, I like giving the reader the chance to see whomever they like, or themselves, as Celia. But imagine someone like Kristen Bell, Rosario Dawson, or Moon Bloodgood. Smart, resourceful, kind, a little tough.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Tilly - Naomie Harris</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Donovan - Tom Hardy <i>(Inception</i> not <i>Dark Knight Rises</i>!)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Luc - </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Alexander Skarsgard</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Sloan - Joel Kinnaman</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Peyton - Anna Kendrick</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Deanna, Celia's mom - Connie Britton, Jada Pinkett-Smith</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Jane, Celia's grandmother - Jessica Lange, Phylicia Rashad</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Robert, Celia's grandfather - Donald Sutherland, Denzel Washington </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>5) What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">When a new friend goes missing right before Homecoming, Celia must
battle a vengeful spirit and her own self-doubt to solve the mystery and
its bizarre ties to a Civil War-era murder. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>6) Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">My publisher is the digital company <a href="http://www.coliloquy.com/">Coliloquy</a> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>7) How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">It's hard to say, since a lot of the writing was done on nights and weekends. About 4 months? </span></div>
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8) What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">There's a whole host of other paranormal YA books out there, of course, too many to list here. But <i>Post Mortem</i> and <i>Parish Mail</i> have even more in common with the TV shows <i>Veronica Mars</i> and <i>Buffy the Vampire Slayer.</i></span> </div>
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9) Who or what inspired you to write this book?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">For <i>Post Mortem</i>, I wanted to follow up <i>DLO</i> by taking what Celia thinks she knows -- about herself, her place in the world, even her family -- and throw it all into question.<br /><br />In <i>DLO,</i> Celia discovers the world of magic and spirits that exists alongside our own. In <i>Post Mortem,</i> I wanted to explore how Celia adjusts both to that world and her new home of New Orleans. Relationships with the boys in her life evolve, animosities at school grow, and Celia suddenly is struggling with self-doubt. She’s successfully solved one murder through a mysterious letter from the past, but her second case ends up being messier in pretty much every way.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>10) What else about the book might pique the reader's interest?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">It's interactive: I use Coliloquy's technology platform to give the reader the opportunity to play detective along with Celia and to make emotional choices with her. At a few key points in the book you'll have a decision to make. Which clue should Celia follow as she investigates the mystery? Will she partner with Donovan or Luc to solve the case? Which suspect will she chase, knowing that the other one will get away? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Think of it as the next generation of those Choose Your Own Adventure books. Every choice has consequences, both for the mystery and for the characters. It's challenging and exciting stuff to write, and I hope you'll check out and enjoy <i>Post Mortem</i> when it's released in January.</span></div>
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Kira Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08123383491169702159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10906435.post-1149959117632501962012-10-31T18:18:00.000-07:002012-10-31T18:21:08.691-07:00A WakeThe spatter in the doctor's basin<br />
Casts a pall across the room;<br />
A fevered thought transforms their faces:<br />
Perhaps they sealed the tomb too soon? <br />
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(Happy Halloween!)<br />
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<a href="http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs14/f/2007/014/5/1/Victorian_Tomb_by_Slopjockey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="229" src="http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs14/f/2007/014/5/1/Victorian_Tomb_by_Slopjockey.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Victorian Tomb by Slopjockey from Deviantart.com</i></td></tr>
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Kira Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08123383491169702159noreply@blogger.com0