Rejected by, uh, research? (Part 2)

So, I have been researching Sororities for Fangs4Freaks, my second book in a series for Berkley Jam out in Nov 06 when I finally received email from a local sorority house rejecting my request to tour their house. Uh, okay. Not sure how that is supposed to make me feel. Isn't it enough that I didn't rush in college in fear of being rejected that, small cough, X years later I would be rejected to merely walk the grounds? Funny stuff, life.

Well, rejection aside, I have managed to interview a couple of former sorority gals, find online architectural House plans and came up with my fictional sorority of Undead women. Drum roll please.....
Psi Phi Omega is born! Yes, you pronounce it Sci Fi Omega. How funny am I? Anyway, I purchased the URL to create a webpage for my fictional sorority house, which will feature a section for members to create their own avatar resembling themselves and be in our sorority yearbook. No fear of rejection from Psi Phi Omega. Our tagline is: We're not like the other girls.

I love this idea so much that I am creating t-shirts with the house name and motto you can purchase at cost. Fun stuff. I will post when that gets up and going. I am meeting with my web guys this week. Also redoing my one page site (yes, I am lame). I know just enough HTML to be dangerous and do it myself but really, I am so rusty and such a perfectionist that it would take me forever and I kind of have some book deadlines that need to be met. Best to leave that other stuff to the professionals.

I am taking suggestions for House flower, symbol and song. Colors are already pink and blush (light pink and dark pink). Why? Well ya gotta read the books to find out why.......

Research makes me, uh, feel fat

Okay, I am writing and researching book 2 of my vampire series in which Colby, my protagonist, goes to college and founds her own sorority for, who else? other vampires. I myself did not join a sorority in college, but frequented many a frat party. I am not sure that counts because a) I went to Washington State AKA party college of the west coast and b) I was honestly too drunk to remember what the foyer, meeting rooms, etc. looked like.

So, I am hoping some lovely sororities in the Seattle area will kindly give me a tour of their houses as research. I am also interviewing some friends who rushed in their college days to get a feel for the 'sisterhood'. Then I get to create a sorority from scratch as well as a college. Fun, fun. I may even have a sweatshirt made up with my fake school and sorority because really, wouldn't that be kick *ss? Okay, in my geeky head it sounds way cool.

While I was researching, I looked at all the lovely pictures on the web of college age girls (very tan, very tiny, very fashionable) making me feel, well, very pale, very fat and very unhip. But that's okay. This isn't a book about me and my inability to say no to Hersheys, this is a book about teen vampires. I was very impressed with all the philanthropy efforts all these Houses are doing as well. Makes me feel good about the next generation. If I wasn't feeling so well, pale, fat and unhip. :)

I told you so

As I predicted, my dear friend Shannon made her first sale today to Tor. You can read about it at her blog here. Now I will make a tee with her face on it for the next RWA meeting. There will be more toasting, more cake and more tiaras.

As for me (and it really is all about me here, isn't it?), I have launch dates for my first 3 books. They are as follows:

BRACED2BITE May 06
FANGS4FREAKS Nov 06
TBD Mar 07

Aren't those titles cute? I have been so excited and scattered that I haven't been writing as much as I should (shh, don't tell my editor that). But I did buckle down today and work on Fangs4Freaks. I am also reading more than I should, but there are so many dang good books out there right now. Marianne Mancusi's A Conneticut Fashionista in King Author's Court is taking up way too much of my time today. Fab book with a great voice.

I just finished up Sex, Murder and a Double Latte by Kyra Davis. It is hard to believe this is her debut novel. Good stuff.

Hmmm, I finally got to Lani Diane Rich's Time Off for Good Behavior on my To Be Read shelf. If you want excellent character development with humor, this is a must read. I can easily see why this is a RITA finalist.

Okay, I will add more to my book list as I procrastinate, er, research writing styles later.

I should have been from the South...

Or at least, my agent says so. Last night, I attended our local RWA Chapter meeting bearing gifts of a large carrot cake, champaigne flutes (plastic) and Sparkling Cider. Everyone was buzzing with interest because I did not announce my sale on our Chapter loop. I wanted to surprise everyone.

So, with the help of Shannon, my slave for the evening, we poured the cider, gave everyone a glass and I read my Publisher's Marketplace announced to the group (after donning a bejewled tiara, of course). Everyone cheered and I was princess for the evening. Shannon had to wear an "I'm with Published" tee with my face on it since she lost the bet. We both completed manuscripts at the same time and mine sold first. Being an untrusting soul, I made the tee for her so she wouldn't have any excuses. Do you feel sorry for my friends? You should. I even made her wear a green ribbon that said, "Best Effort". Yeah, I am that mean :)

Before you get too upset for poor Shannon, I have no doubt my next entry will be announcing her sale...

SOLD!

Yep, it's official. I have a book deal. A 3 book deal, to be precise. Berkley has offered me a 3 book contract for their JAM Young Adult line and I have taken it baby! Here is the official blurb from Publishers Marketplace.

Serena Robar's BRACED2BITE, a debut novel about a popular cheerleader who is turned into a a Vampire, only to be summoned before the Vampire Tribunal for the crime of being Undead without a license, and FANGS4FREAKS, in which our protagonist goes to college and heads up a sorority for the Undead, and an untitled third novel, to Cindy Hwang at Berkley Jam, by Jenny Bent at Trident Media Group (world English)

Go me!