More than 100 twitter friends participated in the Tweeting Delilah twitter launch party for Fixing Delilah last week, answering book trivia, asking questions, and Tweeting about some of their own mother/daughter secrets and wishes.
Now that I’ve cleaned up the party mess and paid my penance to the Twitter police who kept booting me for too much tweeting, I’m excited to announce the door prize winners!
A $10 giftcard from any online or IndieBound bookstore goes to:
@flamingo1325
@Nikkayme
@TabithaMichelle
A box of maple sugar candy (in honor of Patrick and Delilah’s “maple drizzlers” from the book!) and signed goodies goes to:
@Kquimbyjohnson
@trishuhhhr
And finally, the grand prize pack including a $20 iTunes giftcard, a box of maple sugar candy, a signed copy of Fixing Delilah, and the blog that will host the premier of the upcoming Fixing Delilah Behind the Book video later this month goes to…
@KelleyVitollo
Congrats to the winners, and thanks again to everyone who stopped by. You showed those Twitter cops what’s up, and you truly made the Tweeting Delilah party a smashing success!
Join us for an online book party featuring behind the scenes book trivia, prizes and giveaways, spontaneous author Q&A, and lots of tweety, chaotic fun as we celebrate the launch of Sarah Ockler’s latest novel, FIXING DELILAH!
Prizes will be awarded throughout the night! Answer trivia and ask questions to win fun stuff like bookstore giftcards, maple sugar treats inspired by Fixing Delilah, signed bookmarks, and for bloggers — a signed hardcover and a chance to host the premier of the Fixing Delilah Behind the Book video in December!
Party Pointers
You’ll need a Twitter account (free) to join the party. If you don’t have an account, you can sign up now.
Be sure to follow Sarah at @sarahockler before the party. Only twitter followers will be eligible for prizes!
The easiest way to participate is through TweetChat, a service that allows you to follow a Twitter chat through your Twitter account. The night of the party, just sign into Twitter, then go here: http://tweetchat.com/room/FixingDelilah
When you get to the party, say hi, introduce yourself, ask a question, or jump right in on the conversation! Just use the tag #FixingDelilah in all of your party tweets. If you’re participating through the TweetChat link, the tag will automatically be added to your tweets.
Watch for book and author trivia questions from @sarahockler throughout the night. Answer correctly to win more prizes!
If you’ve already read the book, don’t post any spoilers! No comments or questions that give away the good stuff!
Stop by any time during party hours.
Party times are listed in EST.
Tweeting Delilah Part 2
The morning after Tweeting Delilah, on December 1, we’ll keep the party going… with a twist. This one is for the moms and daughters.
Date: Wednesday, December 1, 2010 Time: All day! Location:Twitter
Throughout the story of Fixing Delilah, sixteen-year-old Delilah and her mother Claire are keeping secrets. Old family fights, little white lies, good-intentioned coverups, life-altering deceptions. But as Delilah uncovers the painful truths about her family history, she’s forced to see her mother as a real person — one who is flawed and imperfect and pretty messed up, just like she is. One who had an entire life before Delilah was born, filled with heartache and joy and all sorts of things Delilah never imagined about her mother. Claire also must challenge her assumptions about her daughter, their relationship, and what the events of this summer mean for their future as a family.
Lots of mothers and daughters — even those who are extremely close — struggle with similar issues throughout their lives. No matter what stage of life, no matter whether our mothers are still living or have passed on, it’s hard to see each other as real people, outside of being “my mom” or “my daughter.” So for the Tweeting Delilah party part 2, I’m asking Twitter to share. Mothers, what do you wish your daughter(s) knew about you? Daughters, what do you wish your mother knew about you?
Party Pointers
Beginning on December 1, tweet your responses using the #FixingDelilah hashtag. Respond as many times as you’d like. Participants will be entered for additional prize drawings, so if you can’t make the party on 11/30, be sure to tweet your thoughts on 12/1.
In late 2007, I was driving home from work thinking obsessively about the story of Fixing Delilah, which I’d recently started. All I had was a rough picture of a family of women, a bunch of long-buried secrets, and a teen girl who couldn’t seem to keep herself together anymore. I had no idea how to bring these random bits together on one page, let alone for an entire novel, and I was starting to question whether my publisher made a grave mistake in taking two-book chance on me.
Knowing my melodramatic self, I was crying in the car, alternately downshifting and wiping my nose and cursing the absentee muse, wondering if I’d have to give back my advance once my publisher discovered I couldn’t actually write books. Maybe. But at some point, I stopped sniffling long enough to click on the radio, and a song I’d never heard before filled up the gray space of my car.
All of these lines across my face
Tell you the story of who I am
So many stories of where I’ve been
And how I got to where I am
But these stories don’t mean anything
When you’ve got no one to tell them to
It’s true
I was made for you
It gave me shivers. Her voice, her passion, the words, everything I could feel from her heart. It’s hard to explain, but when this woman sang, I believed her, that’s the best way to put it. And behind those words, I suddenly saw in my mind Claire Hannaford, Delilah’s mother, looking at her daughter, thinking about all of the difficulties of their relationship, all of the said and unsaid things, the history and secrets and mistakes, and how despite everything, there was still so much love. I thought about Delilah’s Aunt Rachel and her Aunt Stephanie that died young. I thought of Delilah’s grandmother, Elizabeth, who left her legacy unresolved when she died after an eight-year estrangement. And I knew it then — no matter how things turned out, the Hannaford women of Red Falls Vermont were made for each other, just like the song said. They would always be connected, blood and history, secrets and promises, good and bad. It sounds crazy, but for me, that one song brought the Hannafords to life in a way that no amount of plotting, brainstorming, character interviews, and crying (and drinking, if we’re being honest) could.
The song? “The Story,” by Brandi Carlile.
Last week, we had the privilege of seeing Brandi Carlile live in Denver. She performed with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra, which made her songs even more powerful and dramatic. I loved the arrangements and loved seeing her live — I totally got choked up when she walked on stage, and though I’m a car-crier, I don’t usually cry over singers1. But I’d just received my finished copies of Fixing Delilah, and now I was sitting just a few dozen feet from the woman whose music helped bring the characters to life and became like the theme song of the book. It just felt right to see Brandi here in Denver. It was like things in the universe colliding and coming together, like they always seem to do (Aunt Rachel would definitely agree, with or without her Tarot cards).
I refrained from public fangirling2 at the concert, but I would really love to send Brandi a signed copy of the book she inspired. Is that nuts? Maybe. I sent an email to her PR people hoping to track down a fan mail address, but they probably think (*cough* know) I’m a stalker. I guess the only chance I have of delivering Brandi her signed copy is if singers are as neurotic and insecure as authors (*fingers crossed*), because a little self-Googling on Brandi’s part might lead her right… here! OMG! Brandi, is it really you? Can I send you my book? Please? I… I think I love you. But not in a creepy way. In that totally non-creepy way that strangers fall in love with singers all the time. Anyway, if you’re reading this, you rock. Maybe we could hang out some time? You can sing to me, and I’ll read to you? See? I’m not just in this for the fame and glory. This is totally mutually beneficial. Think about it and get back to me. Love, your stalker. I mean, me. Right. Anyway.
On a serious note (pun intended), if you’ve never listened to Brandi before, go YouTube and Pandora and iTunes her and get to listening.
Aaaand if you like “The Story” and want to see how it inspired the book… Fixing Delilah is already shipping from online retailers right NOW and is starting to make appearances in stores this week. Yes! Now is zee time on Sprockets ven vee3… freak out! Brandi, take me away!
1. Well, other than that time Michael Jackson got in the Pepsi commercial accident. But that was just sad, okay! Everyone cried!
2. We were after all in the orchestra hall, not some collectively drunk concert stadium with popcorn and vomit on the floor, and the usher had already “encouraged” us to use the “complimentary guest coat check” when she saw us try to drape our coats over the rail before us, so I figured any bra-flinging or crowd-surfing would be highly frowned upon, not to mention it’s pretty difficult to play the violin with someone’s bra dangling off your bow. Ahem.
3. Sprockets. I hope you got that reference. If not, I’m older than I thought.
I can’t believe I lasted the whole weekend without giving anyone a sneak peak of the Fixing Delilah cover. But now it’s finally Monday and I’m so excited to make the official announcement! Here goes…
Out of 127+ entries (book blogger = rock star), the universe (with the help of random.org) has selected the winners of the Fixing Delilah cover reveal contest!
The winner of a signed hardcover of Fixing Delilah is…
Jordyn at Ten Cent Notes
And the grand prize winner, the host of Fixing Delilah’s first ever public cover appearance (who also wins a signed hardcover), is…
Linna at 21 Pages
Congrats to the winners, and thanks to all the book bloggers for participating and tweeting and generally being awesome and amazing!
Well, not a literal face, but… you’ll see! The cover is receiving its final touches this week, and I can’t wait to share it with everyone. But rather than hogging all the fun, I’m handing over the job of Big Official Cover Reveal to one random book blogger. The selected blogger will get the exclusive scoop, posting the new cover on his or her blog before anyone else — including me! The winner will also receive a signed hardcover of FIXING DELILAH. If we get more than 50 entries, I’ll send a signed book to a second winner, so it pays to re-tweet!
If you’re a book blogger and you’d like to enter for a chance to host the cover reveal and win a signed hardcover, just leave a comment here with the link to your blog, and then… keep your fingers crossed! Winners will be selected soon!
(Note: some comments aren’t showing up immediately when you enter them, but they will, I promise!)
The fine print…
This contest is open to book bloggers only (including teens, librarians, teachers, and anyone who blogs primarily about books, regardless of age of blog or number of followers).
Enter only one comment per blog. If you have more than one book blog, you can enter each blog separately.
Entries without a link to a book blog will be disqualified, so don’t forget to include your link!
Posted by Sarah Ockler 
Well, not a literal face, but… you’ll see! The cover is receiving its final touches this week, and I can’t wait to share it with everyone. But rather than hogging all the fun, I’m handing over the job of Big Official Cover Reveal to one random book blogger. The selected blogger will get the exclusive scoop, posting the new cover on his or her blog before anyone else — including me! The winner will also receive a signed hardcover of FIXING DELILAH. If we get more than 50 entries, I’ll send a signed book to a second winner, so it pays to re-tweet!
