Some Ninja Sekrits

Actual ninja sekrit: It's said they often wore a
deep blue because black was too dark and
stood out in shadow. There is conjecture that
they also had a white inner liner for their gi, in
case it snowed.

I keep telling people in person when they ask, so I figure I may as well TELL THE WHOLE INTERNET and get it over with.

RELAX, I'M A NINJA is actually the first in a trilogy.

Tosh's story was always meant to be a series from the second I started writing it, and since I'm in charge of these books in their entirety I decided why not? I'm writing the series I wanted to write. Regardless of how well they sell. Regardless of a vast or small readership. These books are MINE. For me. This is my one corner of control in an uncontrollable business.

So yeah, SEQUELS. They are happening. In fact, they are happening very soon.

The second book is in edits with my awesome editor Diane Dalton. I spent the winter and spring writing it amidst all those other books coming out. It has a cover designed by the awesome MDA Books. A cover I think tops the first (sorry I'm totally not showing you cuz I'm mean).

So when is it coming out? Well, I'm not gonna tell you an exact date. I like surprises. I'm sure YOU like surprises. It'll be like getting a birthday present on a random day. A…ninja present, you could say. And what better present is there?

"No One Will Care If You Stop Writing"

This week I got the chance to teach at Writers & Illustrators For Young Readers, and while I was there I was able to catch a pretty awesome talk given by guest agent, John M. Cusick. He said gobs of smart things, but the one that stuck with me was this:

"Truth is, no one will care if you stop writing."

He went on to explain that you, the author, will always care more than anyone else if you're writing or not writing. That's just how it is, and that's okay.

This might sound a little depressing to some people. And you know what? I've been struggling with this fear lately—that no one cares about whether or not I keep writing, that no one really cares about the stuff I have written, that my words will just fade into black as time marches on. I think I've been so afraid of it because, well, it's likely true. If I stop writing, a few people might be sad for a second, and then they will find new authors to love and life will go on.

I don't have to keep doing this. I really don't.

So why do I?

When it's hard and I make little profit and I feel silly or whatever…why do I keep writing when I don't have to and no one really cares?

As John was up there talking about this, saying these things that were so very true, an undeniable sense of freedom suddenly came over me. I'd been so afraid of these thoughts, and it was so comforting to hear someone else say them and give them context.

In that moment I realized that, while writing isn't always pretty, I must still love it. That is the only real reason I have to keep doing this thing. Because I care. I care A LOT about my own writing. I FREAKING CARE.

I've been spending a lot of time trying not to care, guys. Because writers are supposed to be tough and take criticism and treat this career like a job and gosh-stop-caring-about-those-rejections. But when I know "no one else cares as much as I care," I realize I am fine just the way I am—doing all the caring about my own work. If I don't love what I do, then there's no point, right?

So today I'm loving my work. And I'm okay with being the only one who care if I keep writing. It's liberating in a way—it takes me back to a time when I wasn't on social media and I didn't know a single writer and I'd never been to a book signing or conference and didn't even know what an agent was. Back then it was just me and the page. I thought after 8 years that had changed, but this week I figured out that the rest was all an illusion.

It's still me and the page. It always will be.

Epic Summer Giveaway! All My Books + Swag!

You know you want these.

Ah, the summer. No school, all my kids home, having to run a church girls camp program, plus deadlines on FISH OUT OF WATER and some other projects looming…I sure know how to do peaceful summer, right?

Okay, not really. But I hope you guys are going to have a great summer full of relaxing pool/beach side and reading all the book you couldn't otherwise get to. Like, say, MY books, maybe.

It's been a LONG time since I've done a giveaway, so I figure I go big. See all those books of mine? Well, you could win signed copies of ALL OF THEM (plus swag like bookmarks and charms). It's a simple rafflecopter entry, so what are you waiting for? Enter! Possibly win!

If you had a yearbook, I'd totally sign it "Have a great summer!" Because how could you not after winning a prize like this? a Rafflecopter giveaway

FISH OUT OF WATER—A Book Thing!

I'm very, very excited to finally announce that I have sold another book! I'm sure you are all like, "Wait, didn't we just do this? Didn't you publish three books this year or something to that insanity?" Yes, yes I did. Sorry about that—I know it's difficult to keep track of what I'm doing. Hell, I can't even keep track of it all!

But here's the bit from Publisher's Marketplace:

Natalie Whipple's FISH OUT OF WATER, in which a girl's perfect summer is ruined by the appearance of her estranged grandmother with Alzheimer's, to Sara O’Connor at Hot Key Books, by Ginger Clark at Curtis Brown (British Commonwealth). 

*happy dance*

Now, that's not a ton of info about the book, so I will take the liberty to elaborate here. FISH is a YA contemporary novel, which is a serious love of mine genre-wise. I have always dreamed of publishing in the contemporary genre, constantly felt not good enough to do so, and yet hoped maybe I would get a chance one day. And here it is! Happening and stuff!

FISH is also maybe a little more *mature* than my paranormal novels. I only say this because I know I have some younger readers and those with sensitive moral standards (yes, I'm talking to the Mormons). While I could never get seriously graphic, I do want to say there is *gasp* sex in this novel. I feel it is in good taste and necessary to the story. Otherwise I wouldn't write it. This is the official disclaimer. Consider yourselves informed.

Also, you may have noticed in the PM announcement that the rights have been sold for the British Commonwealth. Yes, this DOES mean it has NOT sold in America. Yet. I am eternally hopeful that it will find a home in the US, but as of right now this book won't be available in my home country.

With those pieces of info out of the way, here is a longer description of FISH OUT OF WATER:

Mika Arlington was supposed to spend the summer after her junior year shadowing her marine biologist parents at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, but when her estranged grandmother randomly shows up on the doorstep one day, those plans are derailed. Because Grandma Betty isn't here to play nice—she is cranky, intolerant of Mika's mixed-race-couple parents, and oh yeah she has Alzheimer's and is out of money.  

While Mika's family would rather not deal with Grandma Betty, they don't have much choice. And despite Mika's protests, she is roped into caring for a person that seems impossible to have compassion for. And if that wasn't hard enough, Mika must train the new guy at her pet shop job who wants to be anywhere else, and help a friend through her own family crisis. Something's gotta a give, but whichever ball Mika drops means losing someone she loves. 

Not exactly a recipe for Best Summer Ever—or is it?

I'm not gonna lie, I really love this book. It comes from many personal places, as much of my work does. I've talked about how HOUSE OF IVY & SORROW is deeply inspired by my Grandma Dorothy. Well, the truth is, FISH OUT OF WATER is strongly inspired by my other grandmother.

While she didn't have Alzheimer's, my father's mother was a person I loved, but also struggled to understand. She was the kind of person who was all honey to your face, but angry and resentful the second you left. She "didn't approve" of a lot of things, like my father converting to Mormonism and my uncle marrying outside his race. She even went so far as to make these things clear on her death bed. And that has stuck with me—that some of her last words to my father and uncle were not "I love you" or "I'm proud of you," but instead "I never, ever liked what you chose in your life."

I suppose FISH is my way of working this out for myself, in exploring the idea of family, of how you can love someone and still pretty much know they're not a great person. It's about accepting others' flaws—accepting your own.

It's also about good curry, sand sculpture, cute boys who make golf look cool, and goldfish. LOTS of goldfish.

So if you're down for a book like that, FISH OUT OF WATER is for you. And you don't even have to wait very long! It'll be released FEBRUARY 5th, 2015.