Divided by Elsie Chapman
Hardcover, 320 pages
Published May 27th 2014 by Random House Books for Young Readers
The hunter becomes the hunted. . . .
West Grayer is done killing. She defeated her Alternate, a twin raised by another family, and proved she’s worthy of a future. She’s ready to move on with her life.
The Board has other plans. They want her to kill one last time, and offer her a deal worth killing for. But when West recognizes her target as a ghost from her past, she realizes she’s in over her head. The Board is lying, and West will have to uncover the truth of the past to secure her future.
How far will the Board go to keep their secrets safe? And how far will West go to save those she loves? With nonstop action and surprising twists, Elsie Chapman’s intoxicating sequel to Dualed reveals everything.
Guest Post
Top 10 things you should never do if you're an author.
1. Don’t overlook the importance of reading, regardless of how it cuts into writing time. Reading is where the writing comes from. Reading is what reminds us why we do this.
2. Never stop looking for inspiration from all sources. Mix it up. Movies are great. Other books. Conversations. People-watching. The news. Pop culture.
3. Be able to distance yourself from your books. Once they’re published, they are no longer yours. They will be loved, hated, dissected, etc. None of that is under your control. Put it out of your mind. Focus on writing the next book. And then the next.
4. The authors who find the most success are the ones who keep writing, no matter what. In many ways, they make their own success. Publishing is unpredictable, a series of joys and setbacks. So enjoy the good stuff when it happens; don’t stress out over the bad. Let go of expectations. Be prepared to adapt. Perspective is so important.
5. Diversity, diversity, diversity. This world is diverse. Don’t limit yourself to what you know, or what you feel is safe, or marketable. What you don’t see on the shelf? Write that. Someone’s always going to have to be first.
6. By nature, the act of writing is a private one. We live in our own heads a lot. This is how we work. At the same time, authors are also public figures in that our books are out there. Figure out how to balance these two very different things so writing-wise, you are still in a good place. Keep your headspace clean.
7. Always appreciate fellow authors. My debut year would have been much tougher without author friends to fall back on. The ones who support you and want you to succeed are absolute gold. Return in kind.
8. As authors, most of our days consist of staring into a computer screen, making up lies, and convincing ourselves the last 25,000 words we just choked out aren’t crap. After a while, it’s easy to lose touch with reality, to the point where we being to doubt our own capabilities. Go out and do normal things. Limit yourself to email and tumblr for a few days. Refresh and re-energize. Find your books on the shelves of a bookstore and be amazed again.
9. Don’t feel the need to write to trends, but it’s smart to be aware of them.
10. Never forgot how fortunate we are to be in this industry. To be given the chance to reach readers, connect creatively, and provide outlets for them. It’s the coolest job ever.
About the author:
ELSIE CHAPMAN grew up in Prince George, British Columbia, Canada, before graduating from the University of British Columbia with a BA in English literature. She lives in Vancouver with her husband and two children, where she writes to either movies on a loop or music turned up way too loud (and sometimes both at the same time). For more information, please visit Elsie at ElsieChapman.com.
Giveaway:
A copy of Divided OR Dualed
Open to: INT
Ends: June 25th
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