Ivy-Covered ARCs!

There is nothing quite like getting this package, I must admit. At a time when I've been struggling with my validity as a writer, today was a big day of remembering, "Holy crap, yeah I'm a writer!" I feel like I've been dreaming it for so long I'm having trouble accepting it as reality, as if I've made it all up with my wild imagination.

Tada! I was certainly beaming seeing all those pretty ARCs with that pretty cover and whoa my name's on it! I have loved this cover from its inception, but seeing the hard copies took it to another level. It is just so perfect for the book, and I feel so lucky.

Front and back covers—I can't get over the color scheme, and it was so fun to sign a few of these for the very first time. Of course I used a matching teal Sharpie. I always get a kick out of the lofty awesome authors they compare you to on the back of an ARC. With TRANSPARENT I got compared to the lovely Steph Perkins and Richelle Mead. This time, HOUSE OF IVY & SORROW is compared to the formidable Maggie Stiefvater and the TV show Charmed. I find this infinitely entertaining. Sure hope to live up to that!

I really love this book. It's about witches and such, but it's so personal that I probably won't ever be able to read reviews about it. Not because I will be offended or anything, but because I have such a close relationship with it that I don't want to alter it with other opinions. TRANSPARENT was a book born of hardship and down right struggle. HOUSE OF IVY & SORROW was, ironically, born of joy, both joy about my own life and joy in my words.

I'm so happy it's a Real Thing that I can hold now.