Wednesday, September 24, 2014

IN THE SHADOW OF BLACKBIRDS Up for YALSA's Teens' Top Ten — Voting Open

I've been so busy working to meet deadlines and prepping for the release of The Cure for Dreaming that I've forgotten to spread the word about some exciting news: In the Shadow of Blackbirds is one of the twenty-five nominees for YALSA's 2014 Teens' Top Ten! Teens picked the nominees, and they'll get to choose the final list of ten.

Voting is open at http://www.dogobooks.com/book_clubs/teens-top-reads through October 18, 2014. Teens can vote for up to three books.

Thanks to the individuals who nominated In the Shadow of Blackbirds, and thanks to everyone heading over there to vote! It's a fantastic list filled with some of my good friends' novels, and I'm extremely honored to see In the Shadow of Blackbirds included.



Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Pre-order Signed Copies of THE CURE FOR DREAMING

Powell's Books is now offering customers a chance to pre-order signed copies of The Cure for Dreaming online! I'll sign the books at my October 25 launch party, and Powell's will ship the books to readers after the event.


If you're in the Portland, Oregon, region and can attend my party, you do not need to pre-order a signed edition. Simply buy the book at the event, and I'll sign copies after my talk and reading.

Here's the full scoop about the launch party:

LAUNCH PARTY FOR THE CURE FOR DREAMING!!!!
Saturday, October 25, 2014
4:00 pm
Powell's Books at Cedar Hills Crossing 
3415 SW Cedar Hills Blvd.
Beaverton, Oregon
Come dressed in a Halloween costume—or dressed as your true hidden self—to enter to win giveaways.
I'll be bringing tricks and treats to celebrate the release of both my newest novel and the paperback edition of In the Shadow of Blackbirds.

Other pre-ordering options:


Monday, September 15, 2014

THE CURE FOR DREAMING Swag Giveaway!

I just finished writing the first draft of my 2016 YA novel, The Steep and Thorny Way, and I'm counting down the days to the October release of The Cure for Dreaming. Therefore, I'm in a celebratory mood. Also, I recently received a shipment of beautiful The Cure for Dreaming bookmarks. I think it's high time for a giveaway.

Now, I have bigger giveaways coming up in October, so this little celebration is going to be relatively low-key in comparison. However, this one will be international.

The Rules:

1. You must be 13 years or older to enter.

2. Post the cover of The Cure for Dreaming, along with the book's title and my name, at any public online site that allows images. It can be Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook, your blog, or anyplace else along those lines, as long as you're able to provide a link for me to view the cover.

3. Fill out the form below, letting me know your name, your email address, and the link for the cover. YOU MUST SUBMIT YOUR ENTRY VIA THIS FORM TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE GIVEAWAY.

This giveaway is now closed.

4. You may post the cover on more than one site and during more than one day, and you may fill out the form each time you post the cover. That will simply allow you to be entered multiple times. :)

5. The giveaway is international.

The giveaway will close Tuesday, September 30, at midnight PDT. I will draw FIVE winning names at random. The winners will receive one The Cure for Dreaming swag pack that includes bookmarks, a signed bookplate, and a postcard.


If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below. Good luck!

Friday, September 12, 2014

Read the Entire First Chapter of THE CURE FOR DREAMING!

Thanks to Abrams & Chronicle Books, the entire first chapter of The Cure for Dreaminglooking exactly as it will appear in the printed editionis now available to read:



Click here for sharing options. Thanks so much to Abrams & Chronicle for creating this preview!

“Winters combines the history of women's rights in the early 20th century with a spellbinding story of a young woman caught at a crossroads between family and self.”
School Library Journal 

“[A] gripping, atmospheric story of mind control and self-determination.”
Kirkus Reviews

Coming October 1, 2014, in the UK;
October 14, 2014, in the U.S. and Canada


Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Advance Praise for THE CURE FOR DREAMING + Upcoming Blog Tour and Events

The trade reviews for The Cure for Dreaming are starting to come in!

“Winters combines the history of women's rights in the early 20th century with a spellbinding story of a young woman caught at a crossroads between family and self. A strong female protagonist, realistic dialogue, and well-written prose allow readers to become immersed in Olivia's rather unique (and sometimes frightening) world.”
School Library Journal 

“[A] gripping, atmospheric story of mind control and self-determination.”
Kirkus Reviews

In October, be on the lookout for my blog tour for The Cure for Dreaming, sponsored by RockStar Book Tours.


I'll also be traveling quite a bit to promote the novel this fall. Here's where you can find me between September 2014 and January 2015:

Friday, September 26, 2014, 12:00 pm
PNBA Fall Tradeshow
Hotel Murano, Tacoma,Washington
Speaker, The Celebration of Authors; The Cure for Dreaming signing (1:45 - 2:15).

Saturday, October 4, 2014
OCTE Fall Conference
Wilsonville High School, Wilsonville, OR
Accepting the Oregon Spirit Book Award in the Young Adult Category.

Friday, October 24, 2014, 7:00 pm
Bards & Brews
Primrose & Tumbleweeds, 248 E. Main St., Hillsboro, Oregon
The Cure for Dreaming reading and signing, as well as readings from four other Oregon authors.

LAUNCH PARTY FOR THE CURE FOR DREAMING!!!!
Saturday, October 25, 2014
4:00 pm
Powell's Books at Cedar Hills Crossing 
3415 SW Cedar Hills Blvd.
Beaverton, Oregon
Come dressed in a Halloween costume—or dressed as your true hidden self—to enter to win giveaways.
I'll be bringing tricks and treats to celebrate the release of both my newest novel and the paperback edition of In the Shadow of Blackbirds.

Saturday, November 15, 2014, 4:00 pm
University Book Store
4326 University Way NE, Seattle, Washington
The Cure for Dreaming reading and signing.

Saturday, November 22, 2014, 3:00 pm
A Children's Place Bookstore
4807 NE Fremont St., Portland, Oregon
YA panel with Chelsea Pitcher, April Genevieve Tucholke, Miriam Forster, Cat Winters, and Teri Brown.

Tuesday, November 25, 2014, 8:40-9:10 am
ALAN Workshop
National Harbor, Maryland
Panel: Fantastic Genre Fiction: The Bridge from Our World to Other Worlds, with Colleen Gleason, Brandon Sanderson, and Cat Winters.

Saturday, January 17, 2015, 2:30-4:00 pm
The Next Level Professional Series
TaborSpace, The Annex
5441 SE Belmont, Portland, Oregon
Success Panel: How a Writer and Writer/Illustator Got Their Starts, with Cat Winters and Nicole Rubel.


Wednesday, September 3, 2014

A Short Excerpt from THE CURE FOR DREAMING, Read by Me

I'm pleased to present a short excerpt from The Cure for Dreaming. Click on the video below, and you'll hear me reading a hypnotism scene from Chapter One. For the benefit of the hearing impaired, the text appears directly below the video, or you can watch the trailer on YouTube and click on the CC option for subtitles.



The text: My hands weighed several tons. They dropped away from the young hypnotist's fingers, and my chin slumped to my chest. I sank deep inside the darkness in a languid, dreamlike fall. Nothing hurt or troubled me any longer. I felt divine.

The music appearing at the end of the video is "Mostly Ghostly," composed and performed by the highly talented Kristen Lawrence of HalloweenCarols.com. One of Kristen's other songs, "Dark Glass," served as inspiration for the opening scene of The Cure for Dreaming, a book that first came to me three Halloween seasons ago when I was in the mood to write something theatrical, Victorian, and dreamlike.

If you're hearing about this novel for the first time (and even if you're not), I have a special way to share the plot with you: a sneak peek of the synopsis, as it will be appearing on the inside flap of the dust jacket.


I'm incredibly excited to share this novel with everyone next month (October 14, 2014, in the U.S. and Canada; October 1, 2014, in the UK)!