2011 in Review

2011 was a really big year for me and I thought I'd be remiss without doing a little review post, listing a few things that happened in 2011. 

In 2011, I met and got to know some of the most awesome people through social networks-- book bloggers. Honestly, you guys sort of amaze me. Your love and passion for reading is extraordinary and (cheese moment alert!) many of you I've grown to call my friends. That alone, made 2011 pretty damn snazzy.

Also, Daimon (a free prequel) and my debut novel Half-Blood was released in 2011. My. Debut. Published. Novel. Was released. Holding that book in my hand, seeing it on book shelves and hearing people talk about it was like a dream come true. I'm an author, an actual author. Holy crap, sometimes I really don't realize that. So yeah, 2011 pretty much rocked for the fact that a lifelong dream of mine came true.

In 2011, I got my first fan email and letter. EEE! I got to talk to fans for the first time. People who actually read my stuff and liked it. I also got to read my first gut wrenching negative review, but in a way, that was also so cool, because that person was reading something I wrote. 

And some crazy stuff happened in 2011, really unexpected stuff. After signing up for Half-Blood, I sold three more books in the series. I also sold another YA paranormal (Cursed) and three Adult Urban Fantasy novels, and Obsidian. I went from one book contract, to  having 10 books or so contracted with different pubs. Ten Books. Contracted and sold. I am still in a state of shock over that. I also experienced my first foreign rights sale and got to hold my first book in a foreign language. And man, was that cool. 

I can't read a word in it, but it's pretty damn cool.

I also got to work with amazing editors in 2011, Kate Kaynak and Liz Pelletier. Guys, if you like my books, you really, really need to thank them. For starters, they read my first drafts and didn't gape and laugh. Secondly, they took my first draft and turned them into awesome novels. Editors are the magic men--er, women--behind the book. They don't nearly get enough love.

Some really big things happened toward the end of the year. I signed with my awesomely awesome sauce agent who amazes me every day. I love how she gets behind my writing. I love that she gets my writing, lol. 

One of the biggest things to happen this year that was really unexpected was Obsidian, which I've named, the little engine that could. Why? Well, I never, ever planned on writing about aliens. And when Liz, my editor on my adult novels at Entangled, had asked me if I ever considered writing about aliens in high school, I honestly LOL'D. Because that was a big, fat no. At first, I actually outright dismissed the idea. Little green men in high school? Ha. Yeah, right. But the longer I stared at her email, I started to consider it. Over the course of a couple hours, I had a basic plot and idea. I wrote a really craptastic synopsis, sent it off, and started writing Obsidian. Eight days later, I turned in the first draft. The rest is pretty much history. Daemon was introduced to the world, along with book loving Katy. Obsidian surprised me more than anything, because it wasn't something I was going to write. I almost didn't even drum up the world and I never would have received this

"The beginning of Armentrout's new Lux series is a thrilling ride from start to finish. A cross between Roswell and Dawson's Creek, this series is guaranteed to hold your attention and have you begging for more." - Romance Times 41/2 Stars Top Pick

And toward the end of 2011, some really, really big things happened. Things I can't talk about yet, but I think will make some people happy.  So 2012 is going to be great year. I know it.  There will be two more novels in the Covenant Series (Pure and Deity), Cursed will finally be available (September 2012), my adult series (Unchained) kicks off in the Fall under the pen name J.L. Rogers, Shadows (prequel novella/Feb), Onyx (sequel to Obsidian/May), and Opal (Book 3 in Lux series/tentatively scheduled for Dec) will all be readers hands in 2012. 


So, I'm uber excited about the upcoming year! And before I close out this rambling post about 2011, I wanted to thank every one who helped make this year so great. Mainly those who supported Half-Blood and Obsidian, helped spread the word and love about both novels.