In which my book gets a new title

A bit of history, for anyone just joining me: For a while now, my editor and I (and anyone I even remotely know, including the twitterverse, my lovely blog followers, and any partygoers unfortunate enough to sit next to me) have been trying to come up with a better title for my book. While I originally loved THE WITCH HUNTER’S BIBLE, I had to agree with my editor that the title didn’t really match the tone of the book, which is fun and exciting and girly (Hey, she said it!).

Well, months of anguish, hair-pulling, and garment-rending later, it has finally happened. WE HAVE TITLE. So from henceforth, THE WITCH HUNTER’S BIBLE will now be called…

HEXED

Eeeeep! So excited! I love my new title, and I really hope you guys love it too.

Almost as fun as when someone recounts their dream to you

So my sister Brandy got together with our childhood best friend Chantale and my most loyal blog follower Paulina last weekend (Boo to work, because I couldn’t join L ).

Chantale reminded my sister about a most hilarious childhood memory, which I will now recount to you all.

When we were eleven and the movie The Craft came out, we became obsessed with witchcraft. We started our own ‘coven’. It was called The Hallow Hunters. Each of us represented a corner of the circle—North, South, East, and West. I took out books from the library on witchcraft. We ‘levitated’ each other in my bedroom. There were shouts of ‘I think I saw her move!!!’

Lulz.

Chantale pointed out that it was hilarious that I went and wrote a book about witches, since I’ve always been interested in them—extra hilarious/weird/mind-blowing because I completely forgot that I was ever so interested in them!

This memory is the best thing ever. It somehow makes me love The Witch Hunter's Bible even more. (If you haven't already added it to your Goodreads to-read list, you should do that now! Pwetty pwease?)

So there you have it, people. I bet you all can sleep sounder knowing this about me. *off to rent The Craft* 

In which I drone on about book titles

So you may or may not have heard me whining about my book title recently. In case you’ve somehow missed it, I’ll fill you in: The Witch Hunter’s Bible, my 2014 debut from Random House (you know I just had to do that), is changing titles.

I thought I completely loved my title and would hate if someone suggested changing it, (fun fact—it was the title that inspired me to write the book in the first place!), but all that was before I heard the reasoning behind the suggestion. Now I couldn’t agree more: that title needs to go. It’s not that I don’t love it anymore. Not at all. But this book is fun, adventurous, girl-centered, and snarky (er, so I’m told), and the title just doesn’t reflect that.

So after this realization occurred a week of stress, eyelash pulling out, and internet research whilst I tried to find the perfect name. And during this week of nachos (did I mention there were nachos? Also, cheese sauce), I came across some great advice on how to title a book, which I will now share with you.

Literary agent Rachelle Gardner has such great tips for titling your book that I'm not even going to try to paraphrase her. Just go here and do as the lady says.

And here’s an additional link from Rachelle highlighting the importance of a great title, even during the querying phase.

Happy reading!

Oh, and if anyone wants to come up with a title for me, have at ‘er. I still don’t have one, despite the rockin’ advice. WAH!

The Moment I Found Out About My Book Deal, Now With 30% More Details!

So this post isn’t particularly helpful to writers, and also smacks a bit of me loving to hear myself talk (type?), but finding out about my book deal was an AMAZING moment in my life and also a bit funny, so I thought I’d share the story with my lovely followers J

Allow me to set the scene:

It was a Monday. Not just any Monday, but the day my agent set up as the final day for offers on THE WITCH HUNTER’S BIBLE. I’d long ago decided to expect rejections all around so that I wouldn’t be upset if/when that happened. So there I was at work in the NICU, obsessively checking my email toiling away with nursing duties, when I received an email from my agent: Two editors passed, BUT DON’T WORRY! Because there are other editors, etc etc.

Womp womp.

So I decided I’d just concentrate on charting and not think about it. Yes, that was a good idea. And I did that, quite successfully, I might add, for another whole twenty minutes before I had to check my email again. And what did I find then but an email from Adriann: Can you call me please?

I almost vomited. Like most people in my life that I share a close relationship with, Adriann and I communicate mostly via email. She wanted me to call? This HAD TO BE IMPORTANT.

Great! Except two nurses were on lunch break and the only ones left were me and a nurse named Carol, who was in an isolation room, and so I couldn’t leave the unit to use my phone…

Also great—I forgot my phone at home, and you can’t dial long distance from the hospital phone without explaining yourself to the operator (Somehow I thought ‘I need to call my literary agent in New York’ wouldn’t suffice as an explanation).

Okay, no big deal. I’d just wait until Carol got out of the isolation room and ask to use her cell phone. No need to panic. Except WHAT THE EFF IS SHE DOING IN THERE? IT’S BEEN FIVE MINUTES!!!! COME ON, CAROL, LET THOSE PARENTS HOLD THEIR BABY, ALREADY! NEW BEDDING NOW? REALLY? WELL THAT’S FINE—OH, OKAY, SO YOU’RE GOING TO TALK TO THE PARENTS, HUH? FREAKING CAROL, ALWAYS GOING THE EXTRA MILE…

Okay, so I was panicking. I even resorted to frantic hand gesturing at the window of the isolation room. Alas, she did not see me. But Carol did FINALLY come out. The minute the door swung open I charged on her and breathlessly begged ‘TfhdakfjdhakjfhkfhadskfDo you have a cell phone here and can I use it to call New Yorkndkasfjadkfvnadvnd?'

Bless her heart, Carol said ‘Sure’ without batting an eyelash. Seriously, who doesn’t inquire further at a question like that? (Carol’s made of awesome. I might even pay her back for the long distance charges some day.)

Anyway, so I took Carol’s phone to the Labor and Delivery waiting room and called Adriann. Of course we know she told me Wendy Loggia from Delacorte/Random House wanted to buy my book, and of course I died—it was years of hard work finally paying off—but I was at work and there were people around, so I couldn’t lose it like I wanted to. And dammit, I really wanted to lose it!  I blame that bottled up emotion for what happened next.

So I got off the phone with Adriann and went to the bathroom, where I took calming breaths so I wouldn’t cry because I had to go back inside the unit and there were parents in there and I had to be professional. After a few minutes I decided I was okay to go back in.

I entered the unit and gave Carol back her cell phone. She casually asked ‘Everything okay?’ And so of course the logical response to that was to break down crying. Yup. Not pretty crying either, like a few tears of joy. I SOBBED. By that time, Kelly, one of the nurses who’d been on lunch break, was back. So Kelly and Carol exchanged a glance that pretty much said ‘Shit, she’s crying—what should we do?’

Carol gave me an awkward hug. Then Kelly gave me an awkward hug.

But I was still crying.

Kelly and Carol looked at each other and exchanged another glance that said ‘Shit, she’s still crying. What now?’

I took that as my cue to go back to the bathroom and properly collect myself. That is until I called my husband and my sister and broke down again.

So there it is. I LOVE THAT STORY! I hope you did too, and I hope you all get to have a moment like that someday, where you realize your dream has come true J (I’ve gone all sappy on you, haven’t I? Go ahead and slap me.) 

WEEEEEE!!!!!!

Awesome doesn’t even begin to cover how much I love this news. I’ve known since Monday but was asked to keep quiet until official announcements were made. I practically had to sit on my hands to comply, but now I’ve been given the okay so here it is…I got a book deal! Not just any book deal, but a two-book deal with Delacorte Press/Random House!  RANDOM HOUSE, PEOPLE! Here’s the official Publishers Marketplace announcement:

Michelle Krys's THE WITCH HUNTER'S BIBLE, in which a snarky sixteen-year-old cheerleader is forced into a centuries-old war between witches and sorcerers only to uncover the first of many dark truths about her life, to Wendy Loggia at Delacorte, in a good deal, in a two-book deal, by Adriann Ranta at Wolf Literary Services (World).

An actual book is going to have my name on it and be sold in bookstores! My agent rocks my world.

If anyone needs me, I’ll be in the corner puking and dying of happiness.