Oh hey. How did it get to be the last day of August? Isn’t it so annoying when summer does that to you? The way the end always sneaks up on you, every freaking time, like a beach fling you know you shouldn’t have because it will make the end of summer even more painful when you have to say goodbye, but is too much fun to resist? That’s August. Every freaking time.
Apologies for my radio silence up in here. I have been sequestered for pretty much all of August starting to write the first draft of City Love, book three. Which blows my mind. Book one of the trilogy came out this summer and I’m already writing the final book?! Yeah, we’re always working way ahead in the writing/publishing world. Plus I’m working on a top secret project that I can hopefully share some good news about with you soon. So my August was super busy, which I loved. I was determined to hold on to summer with the strongest possible grasp by avoiding any and all back-to-school ads. But the calendar won that battle and now here we are. Some of you have already gone back to school. Some of you went back, like, weeks ago. Which also blows my mind.
The fun part about doing a writing retreat without actually going anywhere is that you don’t miss anything. Here’s a snapshot of my August. I am determined to make this summer endless by extending these sparkly summer feels for as long as I can.
1. Have you seen my new animal obsession? I just discovered him when my friend Careen went to Chile and reported back on all the cool desert wildlife. Meet the viscacha.
Look how cute! Look how fat and fluffy! He looks kind of like a bunny, but he is actually a type of chinchilla. Obsessed. With. Viscachas.
2. David Levithan’s new book, Another Day, is out in the world. I had been anticipating this one so hard I almost burst into tears when I finally held it (and sniffed the pages; fine aroma). Another Day is a companion piece to Every Day, telling the story from Rhiannon’s point of view. When David was first working on this book, I saw him at a festival in Texas. It’s funny how sometimes you can live near a friend but might have to go to Texas to catch up. So we were talking and I asked him what he was working on. When he told me about Another Day, my chin hit the floor so hard it must have registered at least a 5.0 on the Richter scale (meaning everyone felt it). Because holy crap. I shared how I felt about Every Day with you…and now there was going to be a companion? *major feels*
I am actually still anticipating Another Day. One reason is that I’m finishing Carolyn Mackler’s new book, Infinite in Between, which comes out tomorrow (congrats, Carolyn!) and is dazzling. But mainly I can’t decide what to do with myself. Do I try to read it like a normal person reading a book? Do I read Every Day again first? I could even go chapter by chapter, comparing the two books. At his launch event last week, David told me that the best approach is to have some distance between the two books. So I will follow his advice, as I suspect he knows what he is talking about.
Here we are at the launch event. Yet another day in which David Levithan shows us what it looks like to be both adorable and brilliant. Cheers to that.
3. In other book news, Candy Magazine listed both Another Day and City Love as 10 YA Novels You Definitely Need to Read. Loving all the excellent company! Caterfee Reviews said this about City Love: “This book was absolutely breathtaking and captivating. I don’t think a book has affected me so much in my life before.” And We Think Loudly said, “From romance to understanding self worth, Colasanti knows the best advice to give any teen,” in this interview. Thanks to everyone for the sparkly warm fuzzies!
4. Oh wait, there’s more book news. During my Facebook Q&A last week, Gavin C. asked the following: “Do you already have a title for the second book of City Love and also when it will be released?” I decided to bust out the good news right then. Book two of the City Love trilogy is Lost in Love. It will be released on May 3, 2016. Please stay tuned for the cover reveal! It is absolutely gorgeous.
5. Want a good way to extend those sweet summer feels into an endless summer? Make summer resolutions! Mine include laying out until the last warm day of September, wearing flip-flops in October, and making s’mores in November. I refuse to be constrained within the confines of a calendar. Let’s carry this endless summer in our hearts.
I will remember August like this. Not as an ending to the summer, but as the beginning of this next exciting chapter in our lives. The journey continues and anything is possible.
Stay gold, friendly neighbors ❤
Susane Colasanti - Blog 