tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78860775531435775082024-02-20T13:40:28.011-08:00Andy’s MusingsAndrew Fukudahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03085338649777420304noreply@blogger.comBlogger50125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7886077553143577508.post-2315452457543498952014-06-23T18:38:00.002-07:002014-06-23T18:40:28.348-07:00My Trip to Italy<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I just returned from a really great time in Italy! The wonderful organizers of <a href="http://www.maredilibri.it/" target="_blank">Mare Di Libri</a> invited me to join them in the beautiful city of Rimini for this three day festival. It's the only book festival for young adults in Italy, and it was such an honor to be part of it. Now on to the pics!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />I arrived into Rimini in the afternoon and was met by a volunteer who kindly walked me to my hotel. I had a bit of time to rest up before setting out to meet with people and explore Rimini!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Here's the famous Bridge of Tiberius which I crossed later that day to meet <br />with some festival organizers . . . </span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjScLvtl5M6MpOaoarmd4LaKK0zlYUA8eT1x7SuyZf4Pi6eMbIASlANl0-7ho0JIXiPlQc1-0vrmndpYqpBk5it61y61MtbwyLtTAUCjeLboE5ubh2sH_7ocq4BYzMKPCE7yaLXNYXrd_Q/s1600/IMG_3524.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjScLvtl5M6MpOaoarmd4LaKK0zlYUA8eT1x7SuyZf4Pi6eMbIASlANl0-7ho0JIXiPlQc1-0vrmndpYqpBk5it61y61MtbwyLtTAUCjeLboE5ubh2sH_7ocq4BYzMKPCE7yaLXNYXrd_Q/s1600/IMG_3524.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">. . . and here they are. Alice, Eugenia, and Elsie, who were all so warm <br />and welcoming and introduced me to some fine Rimini cuisine.</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">After dinner, we crossed the bridge again and then <br />ate the best ice cream evah in the town square.</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">This is the ice cream store. Doesn't look like much, <br />but don't judge a book by its cover...</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The next day I spent some time exploring Rimini. It's such a great city where old meets new seamlessly, and where you can spend time exploring old architecture then half an hour later be lounging on the beach. Here are some shots of the day's excursion:</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The center of town</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"> The building where most of the festival took place.</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The beach was amazing! I settled into a nice beachside cafe and got some good writing done. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh9O3t3SW682ILttnQ3ynSykktpYv-MdemShA6VI00TD_EuuMdeYIrE2M2B7ybOyXWeuSVjt2djABqDYcKgk2RBuWUJyuEVqb4gdeabo-X8F1BxXZtxy6jOstkW7iBdb2AVgQFhIaDuGY/s1600/IMG_3548.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh9O3t3SW682ILttnQ3ynSykktpYv-MdemShA6VI00TD_EuuMdeYIrE2M2B7ybOyXWeuSVjt2djABqDYcKgk2RBuWUJyuEVqb4gdeabo-X8F1BxXZtxy6jOstkW7iBdb2AVgQFhIaDuGY/s1600/IMG_3548.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The only blemish on the beach was the ferris wheel <br />(which the locals understandably hate, but the <br />tourists seem to enjoy, apparently).</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That night, I had an awesome time meeting and dining with the editors of the Italian publisher, Il Castoro. They did such an incredible job in publishing the HUNT trilogy in Italy, I was glad for the opportunity to thank them! The dinner was splendid: the food, the conversation, the company. Before we knew it, over three hours had passed and it was almost midnight!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here's a photo of my Italian translator, Simona Brogli. It was scary at first meeting her because few have read my books more closely and know its shortcomings! Also, because she's a really big deal in Italy, having translated the whole The Hunger Games trilogy into Italian. But she turned out to be a wonderful, warm person!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The next day was showtime! It proved to be a really great time speaking about the trilogy and meeting so many young Italian students. They asked so many thoughtful (and thought-provoking!) questions. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMTqlHBoaOA_aTcrEec0DbiiwxcEOJrfOL_syUuv5_8jEw5DIlbhT6Q0eFRRlS5E5TAF2geGHGNSzvZrSqk7o-ihe_SfFlITnw8wJVQF1Q0jszzLh7iqoVEXacspRGmZNENBfTORxRuwk/s1600/IMG_4198.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMTqlHBoaOA_aTcrEec0DbiiwxcEOJrfOL_syUuv5_8jEw5DIlbhT6Q0eFRRlS5E5TAF2geGHGNSzvZrSqk7o-ihe_SfFlITnw8wJVQF1Q0jszzLh7iqoVEXacspRGmZNENBfTORxRuwk/s1600/IMG_4198.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Later that day, I bid a fond and sad farewell to Rimini, then took a train to Milan. My wife flew in so we could spend a few days together. We had a great time visiting historic sites, eating great food, and exploring a brand new city and culture together!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The Duomo was better than advertised!</span></span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt7q1ssppfpnMOxmK2vI1SPnJ2AYK3MtLJqnRHPE-xy9D76qajrcLAK0ej25RBRFkYtQKVAKAWBEep33UlfVfikEde-j1LqsKlMa5brnoL-SxvlPxSnS-WX_bCIfA3I2SoZLVRUUCsBm8/s1600/IMG_0977.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt7q1ssppfpnMOxmK2vI1SPnJ2AYK3MtLJqnRHPE-xy9D76qajrcLAK0ej25RBRFkYtQKVAKAWBEep33UlfVfikEde-j1LqsKlMa5brnoL-SxvlPxSnS-WX_bCIfA3I2SoZLVRUUCsBm8/s1600/IMG_0977.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></span></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">My wife got seriously photobombed by Ziggy Marley. </span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We ate at a nice restaurant for dinner. Milanese eat dinner late so when we got there the restaurant was empty. One thing we realized was in Italy (or at least in Milan) they seat customers as close to each other as possible, even if the restaurant is otherwise empty! Case in point: </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You know that stereotype about Italian men being the most stylish and best dressed in the world? Well, totally true:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of the highlights of my time in Milan was walking into a bookstore at the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, and finding my books (in Italian!) on the shelf!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC_6EuNvu9Nhm_xRjH2jPyqkeP-6h0AKbgIERZoU8EPhRlh9wlHLchE3mPndvuADrEcKMJd80edxgWsYfHmJOAq62u9igILstNGCFMb_OlitfbKzzBc34tq-jsZ_Do-FUN4NO5sTmj1c4/s1600/IMG_0966.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC_6EuNvu9Nhm_xRjH2jPyqkeP-6h0AKbgIERZoU8EPhRlh9wlHLchE3mPndvuADrEcKMJd80edxgWsYfHmJOAq62u9igILstNGCFMb_OlitfbKzzBc34tq-jsZ_Do-FUN4NO5sTmj1c4/s1600/IMG_0966.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Vienna is not the only European city with canals! Milan has them, too. You could tell it's World Cup time because of the throngs that gathered to watch. Yes, right there on the canal.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp-TXMfIYTTVE11rIUlIngLr9hP6_F8Kby3TfmxQdXpHacF9zZlNNoQ0yDZiHFmKZNX2z3L0DUZtuLM2wjECmC2T52SZSao9atpm7tK8J2DYBlDQAXSVFWa2G-QO_kveSSxFBXd2fssO0/s1600/IMG_3778.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp-TXMfIYTTVE11rIUlIngLr9hP6_F8Kby3TfmxQdXpHacF9zZlNNoQ0yDZiHFmKZNX2z3L0DUZtuLM2wjECmC2T52SZSao9atpm7tK8J2DYBlDQAXSVFWa2G-QO_kveSSxFBXd2fssO0/s1600/IMG_3778.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">They even had World Cup boats from which you could watch the game.</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We had a great dinner by the canal. A few obligatory food shots:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaYfUdLJ36tu0TykscHE2PDs7IW01EUwPjgfTj8lSMrtdlHlAAD6vznWWk5sXg5_hv19odzd4-UZd7-NPXsTp3Z1zKuYc36wUrt1aobyszxsoOLumlmqRTswxUV1lmcfMPYKIjL9vGqN0/s1600/IMG_3784.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaYfUdLJ36tu0TykscHE2PDs7IW01EUwPjgfTj8lSMrtdlHlAAD6vznWWk5sXg5_hv19odzd4-UZd7-NPXsTp3Z1zKuYc36wUrt1aobyszxsoOLumlmqRTswxUV1lmcfMPYKIjL9vGqN0/s1600/IMG_3784.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguMMSnThsiFq0VpLDvVF9Nyn8Rb8_H8uKHnASqhn4d0A6OB4PNoPicwxS1U9_w1r7I_Ve20u1jUo171uoZtA3xsvg1nWMZxbqjN8Walyyrks5dGDCgP3reZJgABUxQZ6LK3nB2aGcP6eU/s1600/IMG_3787.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguMMSnThsiFq0VpLDvVF9Nyn8Rb8_H8uKHnASqhn4d0A6OB4PNoPicwxS1U9_w1r7I_Ve20u1jUo171uoZtA3xsvg1nWMZxbqjN8Walyyrks5dGDCgP3reZJgABUxQZ6LK3nB2aGcP6eU/s1600/IMG_3787.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Though too short, my trip was definitely brilliant! I'm going to treasure so many fond memories. A big thank you again to the organizers of Mare di Libri and the publishing team at Il Castoro for making my stay in Italy so memorable. One of the best times of my life!</span></div>
Andrew Fukudahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03085338649777420304noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7886077553143577508.post-59974171547101011722013-02-25T05:41:00.001-08:002013-02-25T06:08:17.814-08:00Cover for THE HUNT Book 3<br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So the cover for Book 3 of the HUNT series has just come in and I'm excited to share it with you. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">But first, we need to disclose what the title is. It is:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">THE TRAP</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I really like this title - it fits the novel perfectly, shows a thematic continuity with HUNT-PREY, and just altogether sounds actiony and suspenseful. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Anyway, here is the cover for THE TRAP (which I think totally rocks):</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpqfkHsOAgJRvbnfcSzGq-xJ4JbkMFen1lhb0JOGNqIC6eC7Pmcai9l6BXyAHcGMBypjSHauxsKz7wQAZ8eiGBebSkrbhAGlN2h65-Ol5cyt9NZahmmoqpP2lv6sWHscQ-od2Xr6hBBlI/s1600/Trap%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpqfkHsOAgJRvbnfcSzGq-xJ4JbkMFen1lhb0JOGNqIC6eC7Pmcai9l6BXyAHcGMBypjSHauxsKz7wQAZ8eiGBebSkrbhAGlN2h65-Ol5cyt9NZahmmoqpP2lv6sWHscQ-od2Xr6hBBlI/s640/Trap%5B1%5D.jpg" width="421" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Pretty awesome, don't you think? The art department at St. Martin's Press have done it </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">again! </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">And look at how amazing the covers for the HUNT series look side by side (thanks to Carina at <a href="http://carinabooks.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Carina's Books</a>):</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2enhJAIBFp26xQEYzscRi_3FXLH3-AVNI3le2dchLn9USxO_mboIGVSnT38Qugay4hqEx09BL7SmY4tHBLWF-dRqv-R1jU6tM6hc0wxyn178AC0BFNiB4oVFEK4XYjvOfGAO-JKDIp2s/s1600/HUPRTR+NTEYAP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2enhJAIBFp26xQEYzscRi_3FXLH3-AVNI3le2dchLn9USxO_mboIGVSnT38Qugay4hqEx09BL7SmY4tHBLWF-dRqv-R1jU6tM6hc0wxyn178AC0BFNiB4oVFEK4XYjvOfGAO-JKDIp2s/s400/HUPRTR+NTEYAP.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span>Andrew Fukudahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03085338649777420304noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7886077553143577508.post-63025536560940733152013-01-30T06:23:00.001-08:002013-01-30T06:24:24.783-08:00THE PREY is released!<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>The Prey</i> hit the shelves in bookstores yesterday, and I had a pretty great time visiting a couple of local Barnes & Noble stores. I still get a thrill in seeing my book - now books! - on the shelves. I remember when I was still an aspiring author how I used to walk the aisles with something like reverence for the books around me, and wonder if I would ever be so skilled and fortunate enough to have my own book in Barnes & Noble one day.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It was a slightly different feeling this time compared to eight months ago when <i>The Hunt </i>was published. Back then, it was more a <i>oh crap, that's my book there!</i> kind of feeling, completely adrenaline-filled and super-charged. This time round, it was still a thrill, but there was more a deep-seated sense of pride and achievement. I feel really good about <i>The Prey</i>, and if anything, I've proven to myself that <i>The Hunt </i>wasn't just a fluke, and that I have a career to look forward to. Holding my book in the bookstore yesterday, I had this really quiet, special moment when I closed my eyes - I felt grateful and blessed to be on this life path I'm on now. I'm looking forward to the coming years, to the books I will write, the worlds I will plunge into, the characters I will get to know and come to care about, and to connecting with hopefully many readers around the world.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNMiLwpLri3lhPHVlZ3Gv3I2x2rmZrEIunY6Xa31McXPCZPo9rJmRwzLUInomGZstJmNBblYMkVqkfnJ_C4yX89mzRzsisCLNQkSpbdlckjV5Qg9o7i1s2CU0e3W0bHecsT0KuZI5iO6g/s1600/ID-10035798.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNMiLwpLri3lhPHVlZ3Gv3I2x2rmZrEIunY6Xa31McXPCZPo9rJmRwzLUInomGZstJmNBblYMkVqkfnJ_C4yX89mzRzsisCLNQkSpbdlckjV5Qg9o7i1s2CU0e3W0bHecsT0KuZI5iO6g/s320/ID-10035798.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;">(Image courtesy of Dan at </span><a href="http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/" style="background-color: white; color: #3db2d5; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">FreeDigitalPhotos.net</a>)</span>Andrew Fukudahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03085338649777420304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7886077553143577508.post-75873242757956285402013-01-11T04:55:00.000-08:002013-01-11T04:55:42.461-08:00First blog reviews for THE PREY!<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Hey, the first blog reviews for <i>The Prey</i> are in! For most authors, no matter how much the agent or editor or in-house publishing house team have raved about the book, you're always a bit antsy. How will the <i>reading public</i> receive this book? How will fans of the first book, <i>The Hunt</i>, receive it? So the first blog reviews are always highly anticipated and very closely read.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Well, I'm so happy to report that so far, so good! Two reviews, one from the US, the other from the UK, have rolled in, and they're both glowing!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgckK4-J8yzREuXAwbWq8Z2YFmx2gFMdgp1tPELhprqJ5-DMddOCwhDVzsz7GAPWOQhh5MRFl7Lfbs4gFbfMeXmj1YCg0ahAF440iWI5yjSmIphqEvLCBArz-MIzV4BU3mFxiVXSXgE0u8/s1600/logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgckK4-J8yzREuXAwbWq8Z2YFmx2gFMdgp1tPELhprqJ5-DMddOCwhDVzsz7GAPWOQhh5MRFl7Lfbs4gFbfMeXmj1YCg0ahAF440iWI5yjSmIphqEvLCBArz-MIzV4BU3mFxiVXSXgE0u8/s320/logo.png" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">One of my favorite reviewers, Danny from <a href="http://bewitchedbookworms.com/2013/01/the-prey-by-andrew-fukuda-the-hunt-2.html" target="_blank">Bewitched Bookworms</a>, gave it 5 out of 5 stars (or in her case, dolls!). Danny stated that <i>The Prey</i> is "a thrilling and creepy ride that kept me glued to the pages and barely left me time to catch a breath."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7gWzRYyIZC_oembjE7Bl6dL_mhajwjKImRW9Lp-jW-PkjDilMtarq-syKSXCbxpyMBp1gO2-0axjfwMRnHbPM_5q71zqLC3sRyXM1dHmUn7DQCeNqKNcj1F10x2zHzb8zd1Jm0XLicg4/s1600/Header.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="51" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7gWzRYyIZC_oembjE7Bl6dL_mhajwjKImRW9Lp-jW-PkjDilMtarq-syKSXCbxpyMBp1gO2-0axjfwMRnHbPM_5q71zqLC3sRyXM1dHmUn7DQCeNqKNcj1F10x2zHzb8zd1Jm0XLicg4/s320/Header.png" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Another favorite blog site, <a href="http://carlybennett.blogspot.com/2013/01/review-prey-andrew-fukuda.html" target="_blank">Writing From The Tub</a>, was equally generous. "<i>The Prey</i> is triumphant. Possibly even better than <i>The Hunt</i>. Either way, it's incredible . . . This series has gone from strength to strength and I cannot wait to get
my hands on the final installment. I have no idea where the story is
going but I love the mystery and Fukuda has absolutely nailed the
perfect cliffhanger." </span><br />
Andrew Fukudahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03085338649777420304noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7886077553143577508.post-13420152603314361742012-12-31T06:19:00.002-08:002012-12-31T06:19:30.060-08:00Most memorable books, films, and music (2012)<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Here's a list of some of the books, films, and music that made an impact on me in 2012. I've avoided compiling a Top Ten or Best Five type of list. As with most years, I read, listened and watched a lot of stuff, and trying to select then rank them all is time-consuming and of little interest to anyone but me. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Nor is this a "Best of" kind of list. Instead, I decided to compile a quick list of art that - though perhaps more flawed than other books, films, and/or music - were highly entertaining and, for whatever reason, left an impression on me. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGgRc0jSpdeEqb5LEdMxBsMmnV7OvFBbueDiFPk3AhHuhM7TizsdKyrIfEB03rbAJ6AElg1tGfVKBlfSD3_mGTsRAAeEg6UURSQx3HGUPksIZkJSoHc6FfFRATrPO6XXh8BZ6Nk9sSHeI/s1600/prometheus_bluray_artwork_shaw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGgRc0jSpdeEqb5LEdMxBsMmnV7OvFBbueDiFPk3AhHuhM7TizsdKyrIfEB03rbAJ6AElg1tGfVKBlfSD3_mGTsRAAeEg6UURSQx3HGUPksIZkJSoHc6FfFRATrPO6XXh8BZ6Nk9sSHeI/s320/prometheus_bluray_artwork_shaw.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><i>Prometheus</i> was a flawed but highly ambitious movie. Yes, they should have simply run to the side to avoid the spaceship about to roll over them. But if you can ignore these flaws, it was a bodacious and highly-envisioned movie.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmgm_RVIgYT1D_oXTLH3FFYxSpElsfXa-V7aksktSdPZkIRmQtotCUUOJwPGGUDNUoXcCTcdTOL17KUj4VJ-HnE0QrULOx_BHKMjDkq3-bbqCiEU74X3034k9zhJAPPzWqvpsmNn-ntTU/s1600/looper-14731-400x250.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmgm_RVIgYT1D_oXTLH3FFYxSpElsfXa-V7aksktSdPZkIRmQtotCUUOJwPGGUDNUoXcCTcdTOL17KUj4VJ-HnE0QrULOx_BHKMjDkq3-bbqCiEU74X3034k9zhJAPPzWqvpsmNn-ntTU/s320/looper-14731-400x250.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><i>Looper</i> was such a rollicking ride that you really only noticed the plot-holes afterward. Still, it was a time-traveling movie, and you almost have to cast aside logic with the time-traveling genre because otherwise, as noted in the movie, "it will fry your brain." A transportive movie that had one of the best endings in movie history.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaCEZxLKGXRxTcwKp_HLbRd0MzhGCiEKBwxMcjZePe3Yvf9UPxLyHBze02EUXEW1wWFKPoQfCwXo2M69Vvr3qcL1AW4DdqwyYCzhWURK2jXcmEOy7MtvrTs9rz5DH4PlyG0X95pjPicNg/s1600/OB-TB743_bkrvda_G_20120523162828.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaCEZxLKGXRxTcwKp_HLbRd0MzhGCiEKBwxMcjZePe3Yvf9UPxLyHBze02EUXEW1wWFKPoQfCwXo2M69Vvr3qcL1AW4DdqwyYCzhWURK2jXcmEOy7MtvrTs9rz5DH4PlyG0X95pjPicNg/s320/OB-TB743_bkrvda_G_20120523162828.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Evil and dark, yet clinical and factual at the same time, <i>People Who Eat Darkness</i> shone light to the underbelly of Japanese society and culture.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzxaXW9Na-cSGAsOkgZ1V0FASBK6AqnJkxL9YvgouVZK_AQl4hGlY4KGnhgyHpoFUn-yTqUoMwOH7RM4vJuSoc69cNuJpxqXdHa6_y9f9g28Msp_BQu-NKnBND-jBH7BKC2Zqf5f3cxV8/s1600/Ivey_TheSnowChildmoon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzxaXW9Na-cSGAsOkgZ1V0FASBK6AqnJkxL9YvgouVZK_AQl4hGlY4KGnhgyHpoFUn-yTqUoMwOH7RM4vJuSoc69cNuJpxqXdHa6_y9f9g28Msp_BQu-NKnBND-jBH7BKC2Zqf5f3cxV8/s320/Ivey_TheSnowChildmoon.jpg" width="211" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Evocative, pitch-perfect language, Ivey's wonderful <i>The Snow Child</i> was not so much a book you read as a world you experienced. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5YqXuCVnpp2ow8XUdOtVMk5oxNlh933bcl9qfjsL-NMmOTzu6V8odUDHj1eilTqwho7v6icMYnnRjRVUiBnqDS1YRbA0tEu1Ot2y3U_HTHphnIqsNgclXcYXvgQu5Lje3AXE3Q6o5uq4/s1600/7009_338896286217301_137080200_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5YqXuCVnpp2ow8XUdOtVMk5oxNlh933bcl9qfjsL-NMmOTzu6V8odUDHj1eilTqwho7v6icMYnnRjRVUiBnqDS1YRbA0tEu1Ot2y3U_HTHphnIqsNgclXcYXvgQu5Lje3AXE3Q6o5uq4/s320/7009_338896286217301_137080200_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.monsterscallinghome.com/"><i>Monsters Calling Home</i></a> is the group I discovered before they hit it big with a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Y7AzNj2s28">performance</a> on the Jimmy Kimmel Show. They've recently changed their name to <i>River Run North</i>, but they will always be <i>Monsters Calling Home</i> to me. Their music is unreal, their lyrics bone-shattering, their uncompromising artistic vision inspiring. I thanked them in my Acknowledgements of my upcoming <i>The Prey</i>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>Andrew Fukudahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03085338649777420304noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7886077553143577508.post-50598384313386629132012-08-15T07:38:00.000-07:002012-08-15T07:38:17.335-07:00New covers!<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
Hi everyone, </div>
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This news has been out of awhile now, but I thought I'd post about it on my blog. The cover for the sequel to <i>The Hunt</i>, titled <i>The Prey</i>, is out now (the actual book comes out in January, 2013). Check it out below, I think it's awesome.</div>
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The art team at St. Martin's Press is pretty amazing, I have to say. They've also done a really great design for the paperback edition of The Hunt which releases in December, 2012. Check it, peeps:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTKdniW9hvZPUifCI-JPE4XS1tdYvBp-RhSpVyAoYCGDg9vpfDMXtfMvaOSrdnMffkHSfXttr_c42DVMVqx_9cFAlvyHNjtqivfEfITWBlFYQ8bPkzNGoxKUiNbN4X7ND24IBopW5UkyI/s1600/Hunt_FINAL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTKdniW9hvZPUifCI-JPE4XS1tdYvBp-RhSpVyAoYCGDg9vpfDMXtfMvaOSrdnMffkHSfXttr_c42DVMVqx_9cFAlvyHNjtqivfEfITWBlFYQ8bPkzNGoxKUiNbN4X7ND24IBopW5UkyI/s640/Hunt_FINAL.jpg" width="420" /></a></div>
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I'm really digging how the two books will look side to side. Book 3 of the trilogy will no doubt have the same design template, and they are going to look truly incredible side by side by side to one another. I'm still working on titles for Book 3, but I'm pretty sure it's going to be a four-letter word, don't you?</div>
Andrew Fukudahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03085338649777420304noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7886077553143577508.post-33660383199359586442012-07-31T16:29:00.000-07:002012-07-31T16:29:05.529-07:00Who would you cast as Gene in a movie?Sorry for being the worst ever blogger - I can't believe so much time has passed without a post. Truth is, I've been really busy going through the proof-edits for <i>The Prey</i> and writing the still untitled Book 3. I'll try to do better with this blog in August!<br />
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Anyway, if <i>The Hunt</i> was made into a movie, who would you cast as Gene? A few months ago, I did my dream cast list over at the awesome Wondrous Reads <a href="http://www.wondrousreads.com/2012/05/hunt-blog-tour-andrew-fukudas-movie.html">blog</a> - take a look at my list and tell me if you agree with my choices.<br />
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Justine Magazine wrote a piece in their upcoming August/September print issue about who they would cast in popular YA novels. Want to guess who they'd cast as Gene?<br />
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Yes, that's right: Josh Hutcherson, otherwise known as Peeta of the Hunger Games. They were looking for the strong & silent type, and Hutcherson seems to fit the bill for them. What do you think of their choice? Who would you cast as Peeta?<br />
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<br />Andrew Fukudahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03085338649777420304noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7886077553143577508.post-106912654101186062012-05-29T21:18:00.005-07:002012-05-29T21:23:33.966-07:00Favorite blog review so farHard to believe it's been three weeks since publication day! There's been lots of blog reviews, including a few that have been absolute gems. Here is a small sampling. They are all intelligent, articulate, and demonstrate a deep level of understanding of The Hunt.<br />
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<a href="http://bookzone4boys.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/review-hunt-by-andrew-fukuda.html">The Book Zone Review</a> and <a href="http://teenlibrarian.co.uk/2012/04/30/the-hunt-andrew-fukuda/">Teen Librarian</a>.<br />
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There is also a really delightful video review compiled by some students in the UK. I love it! <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qs_79l3wg1Q">Check it out!</a> <br />
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But this last one has to be <a href="http://saz101.blogspot.com/2012/05/hunt-andrew-fukuda.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+saz101+%28Saz101+-+YA%2C+Paranormal%2C+Urban+Fantasy+and+Romance+Novel+Reviews%29">my favorite review</a>. I think every author loves it when a reader/reviewer just "gets" your novel, who understands the very nuances of the book that other less discerning readers fail to grasp. Anyway, I don't know who this self-described ski-loving, vegetarian Sci-fi nerd from Australia is, but she totally gets my book. (And I also really like the comment from Novels on the Run). Anyway, whoever you are - thanks so much!<br />
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One last tidbit of Hunt-related stuff: my Aussie publisher sent me photos of a bookstore (Dymocks) in Australia (see below). They've done such a great job showcasing my book in the store and front window display. Makes me really want to hop on the next plane and visit!<br />
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<br />Andrew Fukudahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03085338649777420304noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7886077553143577508.post-57045868878550301042012-05-08T04:37:00.003-07:002012-05-08T04:37:30.077-07:00It's publication day for <i>The Hunt</i>!!!!<br />
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I have been absolutely terrible with keeping this blog updated, but I've been really busy working on revisions for Book 2 for the past couple of months . Also, the past two weeks, I've been writing up guest blogs for fantastic blog tours both my US and UK publishers have set up for me. So I've been a little busy.<br />
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But not too busy to say: IT'S PUBLICATION DAY!!!<br />
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And have you seen my US trailer? It just came out, and it's pretty awesome. <br />
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<br />Andrew Fukudahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03085338649777420304noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7886077553143577508.post-84634272070477525302012-03-19T15:14:00.001-07:002012-03-19T16:03:19.875-07:00On the lighter side...<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Here's an amusing image that was sent me sometime ago. I think it captures quite well an aspect of <i>The Hunt</i>. I had a good chuckle over it.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSFaQ7DMAcL_s9fxYlzPZiKnKoDxArd-6pihFSz7NUBJ7mB0jm4vR95QYNwPotVfvoHbO6R7PzTE-lsAyWqVpOvjLa0rUxFBYDfD9S4WwmwTjOzieAuSFfD_q3mZlWsm7TvDzz8fQS36M/s1600/image001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSFaQ7DMAcL_s9fxYlzPZiKnKoDxArd-6pihFSz7NUBJ7mB0jm4vR95QYNwPotVfvoHbO6R7PzTE-lsAyWqVpOvjLa0rUxFBYDfD9S4WwmwTjOzieAuSFfD_q3mZlWsm7TvDzz8fQS36M/s640/image001.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Andrew Fukudahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03085338649777420304noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7886077553143577508.post-3070116292451899312012-03-17T17:21:00.005-07:002012-03-19T15:24:28.955-07:00THE HUNT website, widget, and Shelf Awareness piece<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguGJFow3ZvK-LnOAUwlCNwljNCjGzhXKuoOSsh8U6OVytb9qE9CJQKlXRmjInaaaWUp71AqP8AjMfWOoHHYbY6lAtOqxZIVNw5V8AAj74PNwpC9mJtS5nOHLG-fhLBm9MnjI_1Wt2AUcc/s1600/STMARTINS.0314.S2.THEHUNT.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguGJFow3ZvK-LnOAUwlCNwljNCjGzhXKuoOSsh8U6OVytb9qE9CJQKlXRmjInaaaWUp71AqP8AjMfWOoHHYbY6lAtOqxZIVNw5V8AAj74PNwpC9mJtS5nOHLG-fhLBm9MnjI_1Wt2AUcc/s1600/STMARTINS.0314.S2.THEHUNT.gif" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Some exciting developments as we move towards publication date!</span><br />
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<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>First</b>, Macmillan has put together an incredible <a href="http://us.macmillan.com/static/thehunt/index.html">dedicated website for THE HUNT</a>. It's chock-full of all kinds of tidbits of information regarding the book. There's also information about how enter for a chance to win an autographed copy of the book, links to the Facebook page, and all kinds of other goodies. Check it out, especially if you want to read the first 80 pages for free!</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Second</b>, Shelf Awareness did a great piece on THE HUNT for their monthly <a href="http://www.shelf-awareness.com/issue.html?issue=1691">Maximum Shelf issue</a> (in which they focus on an upcoming title they love). This wonderful spread includes a nice review of THE HUNT, an author interview, and a piece by the St. Martin's marketing department about the history and marketing of THE HUNT. Best part about this nice spread is an interview the awesome New York Times Bestselling author <b>Alyson Noël</b> and I conducted with one another. I've got to tell you, it was so fun to engage with Alyson, and you'll learn lots about our world-building techniques, writing habits, and sources of inspiration. A fun read!</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">And lest I forget, there's now a <b>widget</b> for THE HUNT (see side margin on right - it's a little cut off as currently displayed). Feel free to use it to your heart's content!</div>Andrew Fukudahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03085338649777420304noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7886077553143577508.post-13227594597567721402012-03-02T04:04:00.000-08:002012-03-02T04:04:29.675-08:00UK trailer for THE HUNT and Facebook pageCheck out the UK trailer for THE HUNT:<br />
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And for my UK friends, THE HUNT now has a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TheHuntUK">Facebook page</a>! Check it out for all kinds of awesome extra goodies!Andrew Fukudahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03085338649777420304noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7886077553143577508.post-7475881141407576792012-02-03T07:37:00.000-08:002012-02-03T07:37:39.562-08:00Are you ready to join the hunt for THE HUNT!Not just one, but two chances to win an ARC for THE HUNT.<br />
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The <a href="http://us.macmillan.com/smp/promo/thehunt?WT.mc_id=0">first giveaway is from St. Martin's Press</a>. They're giving away 50 ARCs in their sweepstakes. Enter before February 6, 2012, for your shot at an ARC.<br />
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The <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/19634-the-hunt">second giveaway is from Goodreads.com</a>. The giveaway runs until February 29, 2012, and they're giving away 100 ARCs. <br />
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Good hunting, y'all!Andrew Fukudahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03085338649777420304noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7886077553143577508.post-81001990094387165982012-01-31T09:46:00.000-08:002012-01-31T09:46:25.143-08:00A new cover for THE HUNT!I've got some news! The awesome team at St. Martin's has given <i>The Hunt</i> cover a facelift! The new, rejigged cover conveys a stronger sense of action and, in my humble opinion, totally rocks! The ARCs (want one? <a href="http://andrewfukuda.com/contact.php">Ask!</a>) will retain the original cover, but the hardcover coming out in May will be graced with this new design. Behold the makeover:<br />
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In other words, I'm months away from being completely done.<br />
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Still, I feel a huge sense of achievement. Hundreds of days, thousands of hours later, after much hair-pulling, frustration, elation, writing blocks, breakthroughs, revelations, I have at last reached a very significant milestone. It may not be the FINISH LINE, but it is a finish of sorts. And so I celebrated tonight with some cold sake.<br />
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(Sadly, the Barnes & Noble store where I did a lot of my writing did not live to see the publication of The Hunt II, or even The Hunt, for that matter. Two weeks ago, it closed down. [Cue violin music]).<br />
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I started writing Book 2 with quite a bit of trepidation. Caragh M. O'Brien, author of the Birthmarked series, <a href="http://www.tor.com/blogs/2011/12/writing-the-second-book-not-any-easier">blogged</a> about her experience, and it appears to be an almost universal truth that Book 2 of a trilogy pwns you. It's hard. Way harder than writing Book One. <br />
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You can get caught in a rut, a pressurized-rut with a ticking clock. It can bog you down, sap away your joy for writing, siphon away you creative juices until writing becomes a chore and a burden and a contractual obligation and a cubicle job.<br />
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There's some really great advice out there for authors tackling the second book of a trilogy. Unfortunately, there's no one-size-fits-all elixir to the challenges and difficulties, and so you'll still need to find your own way. For myself, I came up with a simple test - a single word, really - that helped me stay on (or get back on) the right path: enjoyment. Was I enjoying the process of writing Book Two? Because if I was not enjoying writing Book Two, there was little chance anyone was going to enjoy reading it.<br />
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And so: whenever I lost my way, all I had to do was pull back and wonder what path got my heart pumping faster, my brain synapses firing away. In short, what made writing feel like a <i>creative</i> process and not a duplicative or reductive or even deductive process. A simple enough methodology, but one, I think, which did wonders for me. Book Two became more than just another book to write, more than merely a spillover of goodies from Book One, or the table setter for Book Three.<br />
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And I guess that's why they call it <i>creative</i> writing. (cue Elton John).Andrew Fukudahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03085338649777420304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7886077553143577508.post-84633107440861139542011-11-13T19:24:00.001-08:002011-11-13T20:35:49.901-08:00UK cover for THE HUNT and promo material<br />
My editor at Simon & Schuster UK sent me some promotion materials for <i>The Hunt</i> that will be going out soon. It includes the UK book cover, blurbs, and details about a "kick-ass" marketing and publicity campaign. It looks absolutely stunning (both the cover and promo materials) and I can't even begin to express my gratitude for the terrific job the whole S&S UK's team is doing.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiPY5AIs56TKoNsO-f9wlROfeU-1YWyuecIzj11uLa3RSj9OFvNpCwi_aWOJL4f4l-R9zL1R0EE_tTMqRF7N_sA9NiHbW4td8lbc_OhK6Wd8iDIZ9BQ5k_2SVFguuI88LSIRNBj1QMCxk/s1600/Hunt+Brochure+2+JPG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiPY5AIs56TKoNsO-f9wlROfeU-1YWyuecIzj11uLa3RSj9OFvNpCwi_aWOJL4f4l-R9zL1R0EE_tTMqRF7N_sA9NiHbW4td8lbc_OhK6Wd8iDIZ9BQ5k_2SVFguuI88LSIRNBj1QMCxk/s640/Hunt+Brochure+2+JPG.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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How do you like the UK cover? It's rather different from the US cover; I like the different take, how it wonderfully captures a more immediate sense of the book. Looking at the UK and US covers side by side, I feel like a father to fraternal twins, beaming with pride and joy over both.Andrew Fukudahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03085338649777420304noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7886077553143577508.post-56520174909903580322011-09-27T10:58:00.000-07:002011-09-27T11:25:46.643-07:00The Hunt cover!I'm so happy to be able to show you the cover for <i>The Hunt</i>. St. Martin's Press and James Porto did an amazing job, and I'm beyond ecstatic over the end product. Here it is:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirrQaN9f57Rxy8zAjAauZ_c7ZYOVLwS_2qDvgk1v5MMgQi4cnKThj-kyBdXzsZCM3QgrbsZGyov1ky41QwFRVqYHlPgNMvGtRF_Awnc4yFGYcvP_1NzWHB6uvw5tqGCA1jHw4DU8bxGYU/s1600/The+Hunt+fin+front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirrQaN9f57Rxy8zAjAauZ_c7ZYOVLwS_2qDvgk1v5MMgQi4cnKThj-kyBdXzsZCM3QgrbsZGyov1ky41QwFRVqYHlPgNMvGtRF_Awnc4yFGYcvP_1NzWHB6uvw5tqGCA1jHw4DU8bxGYU/s640/The+Hunt+fin+front.jpg" width="419" /></a></div>
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I've heard horror stories of authors detesting their cover, and of being given zero input by their publisher. So <u>not</u> true in my case. In fact, just the opposite. I love this cover!<br />
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And, let it be known, St. Martin's Press (especially my editor, Rose Hilliard) has been incredible. Every step of the way, they were gracious to ask for my (and my awesome agent, Catherine Drayton's) input, even down to selecting the models. The cover has undergone quite a few iterations (perhaps I'll blog about it in detail in the future) and the amazing Design team kept outdoing themselves each step of the way. I think the end result is wonderful. The mood of the cover fits perfectly with the book. I think it's a very unique YA cover with definite crossover appeal.<br />
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What's especially neat is the full wraparound dust jacket design (below). The color synchrony between the front and back covers is so pleasing to the eye, and captures such a vital essence of the book. And as for the absence of people on the back? - also a key aspect of the book. My editor tells me that the back cover is going to be blinged with the very generous and kind blurbs I've received from Richelle Mead, Alyson Noel, Becca Fitzpatrick, and Andrea Cremer. Can't wait to see that.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWqR7aTMbolg1jPuy0jO9SWKTZb8m_Rp844QoHKH_W7hDu-yh1wCLgpHpV9fpPT8DQrltPFrUEUAcLgG4BXNrKhRc1dFyBAIlSDlCjUkyhpIdBa7zfFaALfElnEw4g8A7lmIOEc99rCXw/s1600/The+Hunt+fin%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWqR7aTMbolg1jPuy0jO9SWKTZb8m_Rp844QoHKH_W7hDu-yh1wCLgpHpV9fpPT8DQrltPFrUEUAcLgG4BXNrKhRc1dFyBAIlSDlCjUkyhpIdBa7zfFaALfElnEw4g8A7lmIOEc99rCXw/s640/The+Hunt+fin%25281%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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So...what do you think?Andrew Fukudahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03085338649777420304noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7886077553143577508.post-89614963716946757902011-09-23T18:01:00.000-07:002011-09-24T04:47:46.699-07:00cover, music, etc.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxHvES1Q4ndzwauTpjN_PQNOt4CsjacIlXpT0HDCGfbMvFG4-cWfR2TiVDLCTZlEeXMFJrim3m4on0kRhoxHih5Xg5hCAo76TToLjYRZytuAy9e9LimEA7ahTSbaSG7d2OUsPsCIjZXpI/s1600/51dAVnoZx7L._BO2%252C204%252C203%252C200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click%252CTopRight%252C35%252C-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxHvES1Q4ndzwauTpjN_PQNOt4CsjacIlXpT0HDCGfbMvFG4-cWfR2TiVDLCTZlEeXMFJrim3m4on0kRhoxHih5Xg5hCAo76TToLjYRZytuAy9e9LimEA7ahTSbaSG7d2OUsPsCIjZXpI/s200/51dAVnoZx7L._BO2%252C204%252C203%252C200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click%252CTopRight%252C35%252C-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGKtyAtcRvct8I6YKZ8uZobmJKa_Qiybap4Qdi3r8imkdpgf8sQSRSHFob5eHHj6jLO1DzkY50cPOk-02umpdADmV5ugr18hTNhsJS5rztbxpGnOFJgJkeW6GkMPCN6W0J41jAXODhg8c/s1600/51UvWhqimDL._BO2%252C204%252C203%252C200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click%252CTopRight%252C35%252C-76_AA300_SH20_AA278_PIkin4%252CBottomRight%252C-46%252C22_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGKtyAtcRvct8I6YKZ8uZobmJKa_Qiybap4Qdi3r8imkdpgf8sQSRSHFob5eHHj6jLO1DzkY50cPOk-02umpdADmV5ugr18hTNhsJS5rztbxpGnOFJgJkeW6GkMPCN6W0J41jAXODhg8c/s200/51UvWhqimDL._BO2%252C204%252C203%252C200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click%252CTopRight%252C35%252C-76_AA300_SH20_AA278_PIkin4%252CBottomRight%252C-46%252C22_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPz_22x6q0t99pBh2Wf276utZrRhTFCKg-0L1EVSZ7P72jB_Pk2sXFchUO3PVa9KKNeEm3J2v1bsjxx1hbaj414S0NzLbcQs8ueeYuQCAw1-R3-4CJrwrN4VL9r07STw5cRy-iSVPkbj8/s1600/51ctvat1R%252BL._BO2%252C204%252C203%252C200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click%252CTopRight%252C35%252C-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPz_22x6q0t99pBh2Wf276utZrRhTFCKg-0L1EVSZ7P72jB_Pk2sXFchUO3PVa9KKNeEm3J2v1bsjxx1hbaj414S0NzLbcQs8ueeYuQCAw1-R3-4CJrwrN4VL9r07STw5cRy-iSVPkbj8/s200/51ctvat1R%252BL._BO2%252C204%252C203%252C200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click%252CTopRight%252C35%252C-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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As is pretty clear (from the author's printed name, etc.), none of these are the cover for <u>my</u> <i>The Hunt</i>. I was just curious and checked out other <i>The Hunt</i> book covers on Amazon.These are some of the results (turns out <i>The Hunt</i> is quite a popular title!).<br />
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Anyway, as I alluded to in my previous post, I'm <i>this</i> close to being able to reveal the cover to <u>my</u> <i>The Hunt</i>. So to my five faithful followers (alliteration!) not in the Fukuda clan, I'll reward your loyalty to my site by allowing you to be the first in the world to view it. Honestly, I can't wait to show it since I think the St. Martin's Press team and James Porto (that's my teaser reveal) have done an amazing job. Maybe in the next fortnight?<br />
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Moving on.<br />
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Things have been going well on the first draft of <i>The Hunt Book II</i>. I'm going to have to do a lot of chiseling and honing because right now, it's pretty <i>War-and-Peace</i> lengthy. But unlike many authors, I enjoy the arduous task of revising/rewriting because that's the stage in the process for me where my novels always seem to come into their own.<br />
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Hmm... hopefully, I didn't just jinx myself.<br />
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Anyway, this got me thinking about something. More than I expected, music has been a crucial component in writing book two. The reason: I've done the bulk of my writing in cafes and coffee shops, and have needed music to drown out the ancillary noise (which is often not so ancillary). Babbling gossipers, loudmouth biz dudes, babies crying, even mah jong players are often jockeying for my ear drums. So, with much thanks to Spotify, I've been listening to great music as I write, mostly film soundtracks, Gungor and The National.<br />
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Music has helped so much, it seems almost unfair, like taking writing steroids or that drug in the movie Limitless. There are some scenes (mostly action or romantic) which have been enhanced and stimulated and heightened by the music to the nth degree. One day, perhaps readers will have the option to play author-selected music alongside certain scenes. Definitely doable on the Kindle or Nook or whatever ereader has overtaken the market by that point. <br />
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If you've seen Warrior (one of the best films of the year), you'll know how the last scene in the wrestling cage was so poignantly rendered by the song About Today by The National. The scene would simply be a whole other scene, less powerful, if this unexpected song hadn't played when it did. You can get a taste of how a song can affect the whole tone of a scene - and movie - by checking out this clip (see below). It features the same song (About Today by The National) that is played in the aforesaid final wrestling scene. Anyway, this got me wondering if one day e-books might not come with an option to play author-chosen music for certain scenes. And if they did, would that dilute/violate or enhance/improve the reading experience?<br />
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Andrew Fukudahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03085338649777420304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7886077553143577508.post-69482478138288102682011-09-12T13:02:00.000-07:002011-09-12T13:02:58.227-07:00random thoughtsI'm plunged deep into writing Book 2 right now, so my thoughts are a little scattered, but . ..<br />
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<ul>
<li>I'm really excited that my short story, <i>lost</i>, will be included in the <a href="http://tomoanthology.blogspot.com/"><i>Tomo</i></a> Anthology, a forthcoming benefit anthology of<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=3497423815987979661&postID=2554577646005104330" name="id.3066543d4e66"></a> short fiction set in or related to Japan for readers ages 12 and up. Proceeds from the sale of <i>Tomo </i>will support teens affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake of March 11, 2011. It's such an honor to be included in this anthology, and a real blessing to be able to use my talents to help, if even in the smallest of ways.</li>
<li>It's been a really terrific two weeks, book cover-wise. Both my US publisher (St. Martin's Press) and my UK publisher (Simon & Schuster) have sent me their respective covers for <i>The Hunt</i>. They're both very different, but incredible and awesome in their own ways. Both covers still need to be tweaked, and last-minute brush-ups are still being undertaken, but I can't wait to be able to show you in the near future. I've read so many horror stories of authors <i>hating</i> their covers, so I was a little worried. I shouldn't have been; I think both are terrific.</li>
<li>I saw the film <i>Warrior</i> this past Friday. I was really blown away by the intelligent filmmaking and acting. Although sometimes <i>almost</i> slipping into the maudlin, it stayed true to its vision. The last few minutes of the film, including that <i>tap</i>, were heart-wrenching.</li>
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And that's it for now. More later . . . Andrew Fukudahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03085338649777420304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7886077553143577508.post-56082925276745078792011-08-21T20:38:00.000-07:002011-08-22T05:13:24.885-07:00The decline in boy readers and boy protagonists. Relationship?<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">The decline in boy readership is well-documented. In a recent New York Times <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/21/books/review/boys-and-reading-is-there-any-hope.html?_r=3&pagewanted=all">article</a> by Robert Lipsyte, a number of reasons are suggested for this disturbing trend. <br />
</span></div><ul><li><span style="font-size: small;">Boys gravitate toward nonfiction;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Books with story lines about disease, divorce, death and dysfunction sell better for girls than do similar books for boys;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">While teenage girls will read books about boys, teenage boys will rarely read books with predominately female characters;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Today’s books for boys are simply inferior: supernatural space-and-sword epics that read like video game manuals and sports novels with preachy moral messages, and which often seem like cynical appeals to the lowest common denominator.</span></li>
</ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Whatever might be the actual root cause – <a href="http://saundramitchell.com/blog/2011/08/20/the-problem-is-not-the-books/#comments">and there is some debate</a> – there is little debate that the YA market today largely caters to the female reader demographic. To quote Lipsyte: “At the 2007 A.L.A. conference, a Harper executive said at least three-quarters of her target audience were girls, and they wanted to read about mean girls, gossip girls, frenemies and vampires.” </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">In other words, acquisition and marketing decisions by publishers are being made with this female readership in mind, and this indubitably affects other considerations down the road such as cover design and promotion strategies. The end product is leaving the teenage boys cold. And so the downward trend continues. Or so the theory goes.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Anyway, without entering too deeply into the current debate, I thought it might be interesting to see what percentage of YA books being released in the remainder of 2011 features a male protagonist. If the theory is true that teenage boys will rarely read books with a female protagonist (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hunger Games</i> excepting), and if the Harper executive is correct (boys are only 25% of target audience), then you’d expect to see about 25% of the YA books featuring a male protagonist.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBLyAA-68ZlZXIMhCSD9ls2Y3yrRAZtK04SRiqnq0ATqntHDIn36JyUkfKgXqk5leeVqNXFUOJM5XnRQ0m1JolyjwzgDSJM1PhmqjcaCNEdHIsouM_k2zAO6T338-rO5MJWHsFPsNYR2U/s1600/Lipsyte-popup.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBLyAA-68ZlZXIMhCSD9ls2Y3yrRAZtK04SRiqnq0ATqntHDIn36JyUkfKgXqk5leeVqNXFUOJM5XnRQ0m1JolyjwzgDSJM1PhmqjcaCNEdHIsouM_k2zAO6T338-rO5MJWHsFPsNYR2U/s320/Lipsyte-popup.jpg" width="259" /></a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">My analysis is by no means an exact science, and I certainly don’t hold it out to be one. Using the list of upcoming YA titles through 2011 from <a href="http://www.yalit.com/">www.YALit.com</a>, I took a tally of the number of books with male (and female) protagonists. I did not include MG books or anthologies. To aid me in deciding the gender of the protagonist, I used the book’s description on Amazon; where that was inconclusive, I looked at the book cover to further guide me: did it predominantly feature a male or female? On occasion, where even that proved to be insufficient, I would check out the author’s website for more information. You can look at my full results <a href="http://andrewxiafukuda.com/2011/08/21/513/">here</a> (and of course, let me know where I made a mistake! Again, this was just a rough-shod tally. Give me an intern and 5 hours, and I’ll give you an error-free analysis!).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><span style="font-size: small;"> </span> <br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">There were times when I simply could not discern the gender of the protagonist. Sometimes, the book’s description gave inadequate information. Other times, the book’s synopsis suggested male <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">and</i> female main characters, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">and</i> the cover featured both a male and female model. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Stay-Me-Paul-Griffin/dp/0803734484/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1313982686&sr=1-1">Paul Griffin’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Stay With Me</i></a> is a good example of this. A few books, like <a href="http://marielu.org/books.html">Marie Lu’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Legend</i></a>, feature alternating perspectives of a male and female protagonist. For books such as these, I decided not designate a male or female protagonist, and did not include that book in my final tally.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><span style="font-size: small;"> </span> <br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">The result: Out of 104 YA titles coming out in the remainder of 2011, 27 of them feature male protagonists. That is 26%.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><span style="font-size: small;"> </span> <br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Which is pretty darn close to the aforementioned 25%.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><span style="font-size: small;"> </span> <br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Some other interesting tidbits of info:</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Number of female authors who wrote books with a male protagonist: 10</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Number of male authors who wrote books with a female protagonist: 1 (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Abarat-Absolute-Midnight-Clive-Barker/dp/0060291710/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1313982791&sr=1-1">Clive Barker’s Abarat 3:Absolute Midnight</a>).</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Who knew? <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Playground-Fifty-Cent/dp/159514434X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1313982851&sr=1-1">50 Cent is a YA author</a>!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div>Andrew Fukudahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03085338649777420304noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7886077553143577508.post-11371665123999269302011-08-01T13:45:00.000-07:002011-08-01T13:45:01.581-07:00writerly inspirationsJuly was not a good blogging month for me! But August will be different. See, it's only August 1st and I already have a blog up.<br />
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One of the questions I often get is how I get my ideas. I'm never really sure how to answer because inspiration hits me in varied ways and places, and they often evolve so gradually before crystallizing into the final form that I can't really articulate where or how I got the "idea."<br />
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But there are two activities that - for me, at least - really seem to let loose the creative juices. One of them is running. I love to put on my running shoes, snap on my Garmin watch, plug in my earphones, and just take off. By the time I've hit mile two or three and my body is warmed up, my brain unlocks. The dam breaks, and creative waters start flowing. Plot holes, character issues, etc. etc., all seem to find obvious solutions. <br />
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The second activity is taking a shower. Something about the white noise of water splashing, the soothing impact of hot water spraying off me, has a calming impact on me, and in that zen mode, ideas really seem to rain down on me. I read a blog somewhere about one author who kept a diver's board in his shower to jot down his ideas so I guess I'm not the only one.<br />
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And sometimes, inspiration can come in the weirdest form. Last week, I was really stuck plot-wise with something in Book II, and neither running nor showering seemed to help. I was getting pretty frustrated when I read a <a href="http://tinyurl.com/3wps6dq">retweet</a> from someone in Simon and Schuster (UK) who had read <i>The Hunt</i>. That person (@kat99999) mentioned that listening to The National's <i>High Violet</i> had invoked thoughts about <i>The Hunt</i> because both were "haunting and creepy." That piqued my curiosity so I listened to the album. And wouldn't you know it, ten minutes later, as I listened to the album, my fingers started to dance across the keyboard. Writer's block, unblocked. Thanks, @kat9999.Andrew Fukudahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03085338649777420304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7886077553143577508.post-18517611029714848492011-06-22T12:44:00.000-07:002011-06-22T14:48:58.801-07:00On writing the sequel<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" face="trebuchet ms" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">A few months ago, my trilogy was picked up by St. Martin’s Press. The first book, titled <span style="font-style: italic;">The Hunt</span>, is due to be published in Spring of 2012.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" face="trebuchet ms" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" face="trebuchet ms" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" face="trebuchet ms" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">I’m now working on the second book in the trilogy. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" face="trebuchet ms" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" face="trebuchet ms" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">It’s a strange place to be in.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" face="trebuchet ms" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" face="trebuchet ms" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">You’re writing full-time but, with the publication date for Book One almost a year away, it somehow doesn’t feel quite real. There’s no tangible proof that you’re an author: you can’t go into a bookstore and hold your book aloft, you don’t have readers emailing you, you don’t have a book cover or even design mock-ups to show yet. Your blog has one consistent reader (and he doesn’t count, because he’s your brother).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" face="trebuchet ms" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" face="trebuchet ms" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">But it’s also a really neat place to be in. Because it’s given me the necessary space and time I need to plunge myself into the sequel without the distraction of marketing/promotional work. I know that time is coming (in about only a year!) when I’ll be promoting Book 1, editing Book 2, and writing Book 3, when I’ll wistfully look back to these quieter, more spacious days. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" face="trebuchet ms" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" face="trebuchet ms" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">The internet is rife with blogs about just how much work it takes to write a good Book 2 of a trilogy. Let me tell you: they’re right. Writing the second book is challenging. It has to advance story arcs, develop character relationships, deepen mystery threads, all the while without bringing final resolution. Yet it has to stand on its own, provide in its own way some level of resolution and plot climax. Pictorially, I liken Book 2 to an enticing bridge that people can’t wait to get on, provides enjoyment for those crossing it, but which also leaves them hungry for more, eager to embark on the next leg of the journey. A tall task! </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" face="trebuchet ms" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" face="trebuchet ms" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Which leads me back to why I love the quiet and space the next few months will afford me. Every day I wake up, knowing that I’ll have a chunk of time to dive into the world of Gene and the hepers, and the joy that brings me is at times intoxicating. That’s not to suggest there aren’t difficult (and sometimes %@#! frustrating) days; I’ve had many, and there’ll be plenty more ahead. But I love the feeling of turning on my computer, setting my ice coffee down next to me, and having the next few hours to make real the imaginary world in my head. It's a <span style="font-style: italic;">pure</span> time, when all I have to measure my day's success is whether the pages I write are internally true to my own vision. When I won't be affected by reader's expectations (I read somewhere that it's the expectations of the glowing reviewers - and not the bad ones - who can most affect your vision) but only by my inner compass of uncompromised rightness.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" face="trebuchet ms" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div>Andrew Fukudahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03085338649777420304noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7886077553143577508.post-3387651165654340132011-05-25T06:36:00.000-07:002011-06-21T12:53:37.738-07:00The goal is not to get to the finish line.Writing a book is long journey, one rife with all kinds of obstacles and hurdles. Plot, thematic coherence, characterization, dialogue, etc. - any one of these can become the barrier that proves insurmountable, pushing that manuscript into the forgotten recesses of your computer's hard drive. Every author I've spoken with has encountered at least one significant hurdle in the writing of a novel, and each has had to deal with it. These can be considerable setbacks, sometimes lasting several months as the author wrestles with the hurdle. But this is the point - the author wrestles and deals with it, refusing to simply quick-fix the problem with a roughshod job, because (s)he knows the novel will be all the better for their efforts. It's what transforms a mediocre novel into an unforgettable one.<br/><br/>Of course, you can just ignore the problem points and rush to the end, impatient to finally type THE END. Trouble is, if you don't fix the problems, if you just bludgeon your way past and through the hurdles, you may get to the finishing line, but you have not exactly won the race. See the hurdler in video below.<br/><br/>When my agent, Catherine Drayton, told me that there were some "hurdles" that had to be dealt with before submitting to the publishing houses, I wanted to pull my hair out. When I realized that these were not quick fixes but would require a bit of actual thought, creativity, and work, I wanted to pull my teeth out. Then I wanted to pull <em>her</em> teeth out. What I wanted was for her to submit the manuscript yesterday, already.<br/><br/>I'm so glad she didn't. Catherine was so spot-on in her critique. It took work - hard, bruising work - but it ultimately made the novel that much better. It was a good reminder that the point is not simply to write a novel, blazing through all the hurdles, but to take the time and effort to write an AWESOME one. And that means playing by the rules, putting the time in.<br/><br/>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewckPYePzbU&feature=player_embeddedAndrew Fukudahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03085338649777420304noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7886077553143577508.post-47018075682523983822011-05-13T07:05:00.000-07:002011-06-21T12:53:37.738-07:00How my writer's block saved a catThis morning, I was suffering from a bad case of writer's block. I did what I usually do when the writing doesn't flow: I drove to a nature preserve and put on my running shoes. Running has this way of unclogging my brain, something Nathan Bransford (whose excellent <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Jacob-Wonderbar-Cosmic-Space-Kapow/dp/0803735375/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_1">Wonderbar novel</a> launched this week) (yes, that was a shameless piece of product placement) has also found effective.<br/><br/>Anyway, after my run, just as I was about to get into my car, I heard a meowing. I was in a desolate parking lot in the middle of nowhere, so my curiosity was piqued. I looked down, and this is what I found:<br/><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="http://andrewxiafukuda.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/cimg0146.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-482" title="CIMG0146" src="http://andrewxiafukuda.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/cimg0146.jpg?w=765" alt="" width="459" height="614" /></a></p><br/>I'm not a cat person - I'm firmly Team Dog - but something about this cat broke me inside. It was famished, thirsty, and frail. When I patted it, it was sticks & bones. But clearly domesticated - it didn't have a feral bone in it. I poured it some water and it lapped it up. Finished a whole bottle, in fact. It kept meowing, clearly hungry. And it was starving for affection - it kept trying to rub its body on my leg. And then it crawled under my car, coming out only when it wanted to rub its body on my leg again.<br/><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="http://andrewxiafukuda.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/cimg0147.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-483" title="CIMG0147" src="http://andrewxiafukuda.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/cimg0147.jpg?w=224" alt="" width="224" height="300" /></a>(its eyes are focused on my leg it wanted to rub against. again.)</p><br/>I couldn't leave it, so I called the animal shelter. They were great - they got there within minutes. The staff lady calmly put it into a box, then into the van. She told me a cat owner had called about a week ago, frantic about a cat she'd lost at that very nature preserve. Hopefully, this is the same cat, and there's a happy ending to this story. I'm going to call the shelter next week and make sure this cat found its owner. If not, I might just head down to the shelter myself and adopt the cat. It did a number on me, it did.<br/><br/>Anyway, this just goes to show that writer's block isn't always a terrible thing.<br/><br/><a href="http://andrewxiafukuda.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/cimg0148.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-485" title="CIMG0148" src="http://andrewxiafukuda.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/cimg0148.jpg?w=300" alt="" width="300" height="224" /></a><a href="http://andrewxiafukuda.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/cimg0149.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-486" title="CIMG0149" src="http://andrewxiafukuda.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/cimg0149.jpg?w=224" alt="" width="224" height="300" /></a>Andrew Fukudahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03085338649777420304noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7886077553143577508.post-65957862480602801602011-05-10T08:09:00.000-07:002011-06-21T12:53:37.738-07:00Soba Ni Iru Ne by Thelma AoyamaI might make this a regular feature on this blog: a weekly peek into Asian culture (music, movies, books). I'll keep it to one video (or movie scene/excerpt) a week, featuring an aspect of Asian culture that the western hemisphere is missing out on.<br/><br/>This week, I'm featuring a song, <em>Soba Ni Iru Ne</em> by Thelma Aoyama. In my mind, it's an instant Top Ten song simply begging to be translated and brought over here. Beyonce (featuring Usher) would rock this song.<br/><br/><object height="350" width="425"><br/> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/M80XXxMKFWw&feature=relmfu"><br/> <param name="wmode" value="transparent"><br/> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/M80XXxMKFWw&feature=relmfu;rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="350" width="425"><br/> </object><br/><br/>Not that Thelma Aoyoma is any kind of slouch, either. She grooves, silky smooth. Part Afro-Trinidadian and part Japanese, Thelma brings so much nuance and depth to this song.<br/><br/>Also, there's a companion song <em>Koko ni iru yo</em>. Same song with a heavier emphasis on the soft rap male part. Nice video, though not quite as good a song, in my estimation. Those of you who speak Japanese must love the <em>ne</em> and <em>yo</em> ending of both song titles.<br/><br/>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ndRYEIQG9o&feature=relmfuAndrew Fukudahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03085338649777420304noreply@blogger.com0