Saturday, December 28, 2013

Chats, ARCs, and Sneak Peeks

Here's a great way to begin the New Year—with a chance to chat with great authors and, perhaps, win an ARC of their next books.

On Thursday night, January 2nd, at 9pm EST, Spencer Hill authors will be on Twitter ( #SHP2014) , waiting to take your questions.

Join Heather McCollum, Kelly Hashway, Erica Cameron, J. K. Rock, and Elizabeth Langston (that's me!) for conversation, sneak peeks at books releasing in 2014, and the opportunity to find out how to enter for an Advanced Reading Copy (ARC).


Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Holiday 2013

I'm on holiday. Really. I'm taking a week off from my day job (in computer software) to visit with relatives, enjoy Christmas, and do whatever I want.

I won't, however, be spending a full week off my writing job. I completed I Wish last night; it's on its way to the copy-editors.

I have to return Whispers From the Past (Whisper Falls #3) by New Year's Day. So I'll be working on it later this week.

But I will take two days for myself. I'm relaxing by reading. I've downloaded a bunch of e-books to my laptop, and I'm devouring them steadily.  It's been great.

Friday, December 20, 2013

Book in review

"I picked it up because I know you; I kept reading because it was good."

I often hear that phrase (or something like it) from friends and co-workers. But what about readers who don't know me—those who picked up the book simply because the premise sounded interesting? I'm happy to report that, to date, the reviews for Whisper Falls have all been good.


I thought I would share a few of the quotes that have been posted on goodreads, amazon, or on book review blogs.

Let's start with two quotes from teen readers:

  • "Whisper Falls is bound to get you hooked, I know I was. From sentence one, I was instantly intrigued and had to find out more about Susanna and Mark's world. Intensity snowballs through Whisper Falls, making it unputdownable." [AD from Texas]
  • "I loved it, absolutely sweet. I... gah I don't even know how to explain." [IL from California]

Several of the comments come from readers who generally don't read this type of book. As an author, I love it when readers enjoy my book, but it can be especially exciting when someone who wasn't sure if they would like it claims that they couldn't put it down.


From readers who rarely read Young Adult, fantasy/supernatural, or historical fiction:
  • "Whisper Falls is a very impressive debut novel by Elizabeth Langston. It has about everything I like in my escape. Time travel, fantasy, romance and even though I don't usually read historical, I found this one to be exceptionally interesting." [winterhaven books]
  • "Whisper Falls is captivating! The themes of love and hate in its many forms and nuances are timeless and will appeal to all generations... I usually don't care for fantasy but the time-travel in Whisper Falls is done gently and simply... I had a hard time putting this book down until I had savored the last page." [MK Ward]
  • "If I'm being perfectly honest, I wasn't sure if I was going to like this book when I first saw it because I'm not big on historical novels. But I got an ARC ... and I'm really glad I did because the story pulled me in from the first page." [YAbound]

And we'll wrap up with a couple of comments that...well, these quotes capture my thoughts exactly about the book and its main characters, Mark and Susanna:

  • "I haven't read many YA novels that featured the late 1700's as a time period. In addition, the lives of indentured servants doesn't typically make it into novels. I often find myself gravitating towards the stories of those whose stories have not been told previously. I was excited to learn more about this time period, indentured servitude, and women's issues." [reading lark]
  • "And the writing, did I mention the writing? It was wonderful! As a history major, I saw the amount of research Langston had to perform to get everything just right. I never once questioned if it was possible or think that she had some historical reference incorrect. It was as if she’s really been to visit Susanna in the past. Excellent read!"  [adventures in writers land]
  • "Susanna is a sweet and humble girl who has a beautiful heart. She's brave and caring and tougher then one would expect. Mark is good people. He's like your everyday teenager with family issues and girl problems, but he's dedicated to his sport and always tries to be a good person... This is the kind of love story that I want to hug. It's not about lust or want, it's simply about caring about a person so deeply that you would do anything, even walk through centuries, to save her. And it was beautifully done." [winterhaven books] 

Monday, December 16, 2013

must leave book 2 alone

So my editors really want to send book 2 (A Whisper In Time) to the formatters (the last stop before the printers.)

But I found 20 more words I want to change. Yes, there are 380 pages, and I want to change 20 words.

I really need to learn how to let it go.  It's just that I want the book to be as perfect as possible.

Okay. Deep breath. We're done.  Cover reveal soon...


Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Merry Christmas and book giveaway

I'm giving away 2 signed copies of Whisper Falls!



Goodreads Book Giveaway

Whisper Falls by Elizabeth Langston

Whisper Falls

by Elizabeth Langston

Giveaway ends December 27, 2013.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.
Enter to win

Monday, December 9, 2013

Best gift ever for your favorite author

My author's wish list has two simple items on it:
  • read my book
  • if you like it, tell someone else

Both gifts make me really happy.



Read my book. I'd love for you to buy the book, of course. Writing is my job; I can't afford to create books if I'm not getting paid for it. But if you're not able to buy it, libraries can buy my book too.  You can check it out from your local library.

Tell someone else. Word-of-mouth is the number one way that readers discover new authors. So there you are--an inexpensive way to give back to an author.  Just say "I loved this book."

Whether it's my book or another author's, here are a few ways you can spread the word about a book you love
  1. Mention to your friends.
  2. Give a book that you love as a gift.
  3. Recommend it to your book club.
  4. Give a nice review on Goodreads, Amazon, B&N, or any of the other forums for talking about books.
  5. Nominate it to book bloggers or the numerous "Best of 2013" lists. 
  6. Request the book at your local library, especially if they don't have it in their catalog.
  7. If you're a teen, tell your English teacher or school librarian.
  8. Look for it at your local bookstore. If it's not on the shelves, ask! The bookstore won't know to order/stock the book unless they recognize that there is interest.
  9. Tweet the book or blog about it.

And let me know too. If you leave a review, that's one way to let me know you enjoyed my book. But I love it when readers tell me (in person or via social media) that they enjoyed the book.

I just had a colleague (at my day job) stop me in the hall to say that she'd read my book.

Me: Oh, did you enjoy it?
Her: It was wonderful. I couldn't put it down.

Yes! Christmas came early!





Monday, December 2, 2013

My first foreign translation will be Romanian

My foreign rights agent, the wonderful Taryn, has sold Whisper Falls to Romania!

Naturally, I'm curious to know what the title might look like in that language, so I put the title through an internet translator and received:

şoaptă Cascada
 
My daughter, who is a budding linguist, tells me that Romanian is the only romance language left in Eastern Europe. The breve over the a in the first word (şoaptă / whisper) is a clue pointing to the Romanian language, since few languages use that character.
 
I don't know how long it will take for the Romanian version to release, but I look forward to many new readers!