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Blog Tour: Crossed by Ally Condie & Giveaway

Ally Condie

Books:

  • Matched
  • Crossed
Website | Facebook | Chapter Sampler


In search of a future that may not exist and faced with the decision of who to share it with, Cassia journeys to the Outer Provinces in pursuit of Ky - taken by the Society to his certain death - only to find that he has escaped, leaving a series of clues in his wake.

Cassia's quest leads her to question much of what she holds dear, even as she finds glimmers of a different life across the border. But as Cassia nears resolve and certainty about her future with Ky, an invitation for rebellion, an unexpected betrayal, and a surprise visit from Xander - who may hold the key to the uprising and, still, to Cassia's heart - change the game once again. Nothing is as expected on the edge of Society, where crosses and double crosses make the path more twisted than ever.



When I’m speaking to a group of writers/readers, one of the questions people most often ask is: What is it like working with an editor?

The answer: I love it.

I’m fortunate enough to be working with Julie Strauss-Gabel on the Matched trilogy. Julie is also the editor for John Green (Paper Towns), Stephanie Perkins (Anna and the French Kiss), Emily Wing Smith (Back When You Were Easier to Love) and Adam Gidwitz (A Tale Dark and Grimm), which is pretty much a who’s who of many of my favorite authors. I’m very, very lucky. Julie is renowned in the publishing industry—she’s smart, gracious, and infinitely more clever and capable than I am. I was going to say that it’s like working on a project in high school with the smartest kid in class, except it’s more like working on a project with the teacher, or a very cool college student who for some reason is willing to help you.

I’ve never really understood why people ask if I’m afraid of changing my story for an editor. That’s the beauty of being able to save your original document in another file before you get started on making the suggested changes! It’s always there, safe and sound, just in case you decide you hate the changes you’ve made.

But here’s the thing.

That has never happened.

Every time I’ve rolled up my sleeves and dug in to the book to make the suggested changes, it’s made the book much, much better. It’s also been hard—I won’t lie to you—but that’s not because the editor is wrong or the demands are too much. It’s just that making a book better is hard work. You have to think in different ways and make yourself try new angles. A good editor doesn’t write your story for you, but she helps you shape it into what you truly hoped it would be all along.

Sometimes, when I read Julie’s comments, I think: I know! I totally agree with this! But I don’t know how to do it. If I did, I would have done it by now. But again—this is why having an editor is fantastic. They know how to ask questions and help make you look at things in a different way.

So, those things you thought you couldn’t do? It turns out that, with a great editor, you can.


Ally Condie is the author of the international bestseller Matched, and its newly-released sequel, Crossed. Matched was chosen as one of YALSA’s 2011 Teens’ Top Ten, named as one of Publishers Weekly’s Best Children’s Books of 2010, selected as the #1 Pick on the Winter Kid’s Indie Next List, and received starred reviews from Kirkus and Publishers Weekly. In a starred review for the sequel, Crossed, Kirkus called the Matched series an “addictive, layered dystopic trilogy.”

A former English teacher (who still keeps her license current, just in case!), she lives with her husband and three sons outside of Salt Lake City, Utah. She loves reading, writing, running, and listening to her husband play guitar.


What you can win: A CROSSED/MATCHED PRIZE PACK!!

  • 1 signed, finished copy of CROSSED
  • 1 double sided CROSSED/Book 3 poster
  • 3 MATCHED buttons
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