Hi, Team Canterwood!

Just a quick note to say "hi!" and that I'm *insanely* busy working on the new Canterwood book! I'm so, so thankful for all of the notes about CITY SECRETS and it means so much that you all are excited about SCANDALS, RUMORS, LIES which come out in September! Woo! The twists, guaranteed by Editor K, are insane and I think it might be the most . . . well, memorable Canterwood book yet.

Happy summer to everyone and more later!

xoxo

Thank you, Team Canterwood Facebookers!

You guys are amazing! I LOVE the reader created profiles for Sasha and her friends. One that Editor K and I especially adored is "Charm Silver's" profile. We can't stop talking about how Sasha's horse has his own profile on Facebook. It's amazing and I'm so, so grateful to you all. I *really* appreciate your support for not only CITY SECRETS, but the entire series.

Team Canterwood rocks! :)

xoxo

Happy official release day, City Secrets!

Yaaay! Canterwood Crest #9 (CITY SECRETS) is out! I've been getting reports from my fab readers on Team Canterwood that some have already swiped copies and others are stalking their fave bookstores to snag a copy. *You* guys rock!

If you need ideas of where to grab a copy, here are direct links:

Barnes & Noble

Amazon

IndieBound

Books a Million

Powells

Thank you ALL for being an amazing part of Canterwood and hearts to you guys! ?You've been an amazing support by reviewing the books, telling your friends and letting me know what you think. Yaaaay Team Canterwood! <3 xoxo

I Heart Team Canterwood!

Hi, guys!

Huge, major hearts to you all for letting me know that some of you have found CITY SECRETS early in stores, got it online or are waiting for your copy to arrive. I'm thrilled that you're excited. Yaaaay! :)

Also, there have been some superfans creating profiles for Sasha, Paige, Heather, etc., on Facebook. Just know that these are readergirly created profiles and *sniff* neither the characters or Canterwood Crest Academy is a real school. The profiles are not those of the models of the characters either. But I friended all of them on FB and it's fun to have more things to enjoy in the Canterwood world.

Happy Monday! xoxo

Thoughts about Eclipse

Last night, I went to see ECLIPSE with Kate and Ross. We got to the theater around 11:50ish and it was already packed. We were almost about to leave because we didn't want to split up in the theater and three seats together were sooo not happening. Then, in a supersparkly way, three seats opened up in the front row. *freaks*

We grabbed the seats and the energy from the crowd was INTENSE. Screaming girls were all around and everyone was losing it. The majority of the midnight crowd at our theater? They were, without a doubt, Team Jacob. !!! Gotta admit, though, I was/am Team Edward, but ECLIPSE is my favorite book and it got me to a place of being torn between Jacob and Edward. It also was so well written as a possibility for a person (Bella) to be in love with two people.

The action in ECLIPSE was intense, the CGI was flawless (Edward's sparkle was fab), and I liked Bryce Dallas Howard as Victoria. More romance and Jacob/Bella time was definitely lacking for me as were more talking/intimate moments between Edward and Bella since they were going back and forth about being engaged. This is an instance where I felt the book was better than the movie. But I still enjoyed it greatly and can't wait for it to come out on DVD. It actually made me want to reread ECLIPSE while the movie is fresh in my brain.

I hope everyone who wanted to see it last night made it to theaters! :) Major hearts to K for going out with me and R for being awesome about seeing another Twilight Saga flick.

I Tweeted pics about everything yesterday AND as if ECLIPSE coming out wasn't enough, Barnes & Noble has released CITY SECRETS!! Yaaay for Canterwood Crest #9!

First chapter of CITY SECRETS!

Huge thanks to the readers on Team Canterwood's forum that let me know that the first chapter of CITY SECRETS is available to read on Simon & Schuster's Website! Yayness!!

Here's the chapter or you can read it here:

PS: Special thanks to all of readers who called into my radio show today! The lines were so full that we couldn't take all of your calls in an hour. I'm hoping to do a Skype chat soon where we can chat face to face as a fun thank you for all of your awesome support. Congratulations to everyone who won a signed copy--the radio station will be emailing me your addresses soon and I'll get your book in the mail. :)

Chapter 1

1
PARK AVENUE PRINCESS

I PEERED OUT THE TINTED WINDOW OF HEATHER Fox’s Lincoln Town Car and stared up at her building on Park Avenue in NYC. Twenty-four hours ago I’d never imagined I’d be spending fall break with my former arch nemesis.

“Wow,” I said, turning to Heather. “You live here?”

She flicked her blond hair over her shoulder and rolled her eyes. “Don’t freak out, Silver. This is just the driveway. If you’re acting like this now, you might have a stroke when we get inside.”

This was where I’d be staying for Canterwood Crest’s weeklong fall break. Until last night I’d been supposed to stay with my best friend and roommate, Paige Parker, but . . . my thoughts stopped short. I didn’t want to think about my fight with Paige.

The driver, in a crisp black suit and red tie, halted the car. His brown hair was streaked with gray and he had been supernice to us on the ride from school. He got out of the car, opened Heather’s door, and offered her a hand. I scrambled out after her and she sighed.

“Paul was going to come around to your side next,” Heather said. “At least act like you’ve been to a real city before.”

“I have,” I said. “I—” I shook my head, not wanting to finish the sentence. The last time I’d been to NYC was when I’d visited Paige last summer. We’d been planning this fall break forever, until . . .

“Sasha!” Heather said, putting a hand on her hip. “Space much?”

“Sorry,” I said, directing my gaze back to the building. “Forgot what I was going to say.”

But there was no way I could forget. Not the awful fight Paige and I’d had last night at Friday’s Homecoming dance. In a flash of images I saw Paige and me standing in the bathroom just off the Canterwood Crest ballroom. Paige had accused me of being jealous that Ryan was her boyfriend because I didn’t have one. And I’d lost it. It had been too much after I’d suffered through Homecoming week—forced to do activities with Jacob (my ex-almost-boyfriend) and Eric (my ex-boyfriend). I’d wanted Paige to be more sensitive about everything. But instead she’d turned on me.

The trunk of the car slammed shut and an attendant came and picked up Heather’s and my suitcases, loading them onto a cart.

“C’mon,” Heather said. “Our stuff will be upstairs in a sec.”

I followed her as a doorman tipped his hat, opening the door to let us inside. “Miss Fox,” he said.

“Hi, Allen,” Heather said. She smiled at him and we walked into a lobby that looked like something out of a movie set. Nothing looked real.

“You have exactly two seconds to gawk before I shove you back in the car,” Heather said to me.

I couldn’t help it. The white-and-sandy-colored marble floors gleamed. A security guard monitored people heading for one of the six elevators. The gold elevators looked imposing, and elevator attendants waited to offer assistance if necessary.

A giant stone fireplace, surrounded by crimson high-backed chairs, cast heat across the lobby. Gleaming gold fireplace tools were hung on the hearth. It looked like a spot I’d never leave during the winter if I lived here. I’d curl up with Misty of Chincoteague, one of my favorite books, and read for hours.

Placed around the room were coffee tables and end tables—most with neat stacks of magazines, and others with vases of flowers. Potted plants were in the corners of the room. There were a few cream-colored couches where people sat and read books or chatted in quiet tones on their phones.

My gaze traveled upward to the high ceiling and six crystal chandeliers that sparkled. Hundreds of crystals dangled from the chandeliers and reflected bits of light onto the ceiling. The chandeliers alone screamed elegance.

On the opposite side of the elevators, a staircase with a gleaming wooden railing wrapped around the side of the room, over the fireplace, and to what looked like another level of the lobby. I stared down at my jeans and flip-flops—I looked so out of place here.

“Enough already,” Heather said, grabbing my elbow. “People are going to stare. I do live here and have to see my neighbors occasionally when I’m here on break.”

“Sorry,” I said.

I followed Heather past the security desk. She waved at the guard and he smiled at her.

We waited for the elevator, then stepped inside. The doors closed behind us and I almost fell back against wall when I turned to face the door.

“There’s a TV in your elevator?” I asked.

Heather smirked. “So easily impressed. It’s only going to get better from here, so chill before you pass out or something.”

“I’m not going to faint,” I muttered.

The elevator doors opened and I held my breath as we stepped into the hallway. The walls were eggshell, and the dark gray carpet had red and gold swirls. Golden accents ran along the top of the walls, near the ceiling, and I half-expected a movie star to emerge from one of the rooms. This looked like a building where celebs would def live.

We turned the corner and stopped in front of a dark cherrywood doorway labeled PH1 in gold. Heather pressed four numbers into a keypad, and I wiped my sweaty hands on my jeans. Heather’s parents weren’t exactly . . . nice, and Mr. Fox always made me nervous. He never missed a chance to be intimidating or to make the people around him sweat.

The red light on the keypad turned to a blinking green, and Heather pushed down the door handle. I took another breath, hoping I’d made the right decision by coming here. But it was too late to go back now. My parents had left for vacation, and there was no way I could—or would—stay with Paige. I was stuck here no matter what.

© 2010 Jessica Burkhart

City Secrets full front and back cover

Since you guys were speculating about what the back cover copy said for CITY SECRETS, I got the full image from the art department to share. :)

I hope you love it as much as I do and yaaay July 6!

Tomorrow or over the weekend, look for a post about my new favorite book, DORK DIARIES: TALES OF A NO-SO-POPULAR PARTY GIRL that features our own Sasha Silver in a way you'd never expect . . .

Yay winners of CITY SECRETS!

It's time to draw the random winners of CITY SECRETS! There were sooo many entries and you guys are all sooo sparkly and amazing that I thought it would be a fun surprise to give away FOUR copies instead of three! Yaaaay! :)

I'm soooo excited to announce them!!! Eeeee! :)

The winners (all drawn at random) are:

Larah

Claire A.

Cassidy M.

Jamie P.


You'll all be getting e-mails as soon as this is posted, so check your inboxes!

Cassidy, I'm overlooking your email address (brain is warped from writing!) so I'm sending you your message via YouTube.

The sooner you get back to me, the faster you'll receive your book. So happy for everyone!

Who wants an early signed copy of CITY SECRETS?

Just heard a rumor that copies are in! :) :)

If you guys are, you know, interested . . . I'll be doing a giveaway very soon!

Keep checking back for details!

Yaaay CITY SECRETS!

Break night

(Or, a totally random post on how I'm relaxing tonight . . .)

Watching New Moon

Doing my nails in Essie's "Bachelorette Party"

Then, reading Shadow Kissed

After that, I've got a list to make of things that need to be done before my Utah trip with K. Lots of things on the list. Starting with, obvi, writing. But tonight's for taking a break.

Although . . .

I'm getting superexcited about next month's release of City Secrets. It's crazy to think that it'll be my *ninth* book on shelves. It'll definitely be time for book-stalking when CS releases.

Happy Tuesday!

Getting ready for CITY SECRETS! :)

Hi, guys!

Wow, just *37* (July 6) days until CITY SECRETS (#9) comes out! Yaaay! :) :) Since the books usually ship early, I bet a lot of you will be letting me know that you've got an early copy in your hands. I can't wait for you all to read it.


I'm busy writing in Canterwood land and wanted to let you know that your support and love for Team Canterwood has NOT gone unnoticed or unappreciated. So . . . I did something a little special for you all in CITY SECRETS. You'll find it in the first few pages of the book, so look for it there. <3

Happy long weekend! Go have fun!

The rumor is true!

Thanks so much to everyone who celebrated the release of HOME SWEET DRAMA with me! :D It's sooo cool to have it out now and I hope everyone's enjoying it. I'm already counting down the days till July 6 when CITY SECRETS comes out.

I want to confirm an announcement that was discussed on the Canterwood forum. I addressed the rumor there (check out the link to see the discussion), but wanted to say on my blog that it IS true--the 12th Canterwood book (UNFRIENDLY COMPETITION) will be the last with Sasha as the narrator. The reasoning is explained on the forum, so check there for my response. Sasha will still be around for books 13-16, I promise! It's going to be fun and exciting to write from a different character's POV and I'm thrilled to keep Canterwood going. :)

City Secrets and Elite Ambition cover reveal

The rumors in the previous post ARE true! The covers were posted on the Simon & Schuster Website. As soon as I get the files, I'll post the large version so you guys can see them up close. I'm so excited to see Paige on the cover of CITY SECRETS.

And on ELITE AMBITION, we've got the new mystery girl and Callie. I'll post the full size covers as soon as I get them--promise! :)

Rival Revenge out in the wild :)

It's soo cool that some of you have already found copies of RIVAL REVENGE. Yaay! I need to get to my local B&N and check to see if it's there. Maybe I could sneak a vlog from inside the store...or end up getting thrown out. LOL. I could try.

Next week, I'll put up a post for you guys to chat about RR if you want.

I'm working all weekend on CITY SECRETS, so happy weekend, girlies! :)

Soo....

Unfortunately, the CITY SECRETS cover needed a few last minute tweaks, so I don't have the file to share with you guys yet. :( *BUT* that means the cover is only going to be that much better. So, instead, I'll share the title for Canterwood Crest #11. :) That I can do.

Canterwood Crest #11 is... SCANDALS, RUMORS, LIES. Editor K came up with the title and I looooove it. :)

I have a ton of crazy writing to do, so I'm back to it.

Next week...

I'm going to reveal the cover for CITY SECRETS (CC #9), which comes out in July 2010. :) It's the book I'm working on right now while I, erm, watch VH1's Top 20 Countdown.

Can't wait for you guys to see it! Yay!

Winner!

A random drawing has selected the winner of LWL! Congrats to...KACY L! Kacy, e-mail me to claim your signed copy of Little White Lies. Thanks so much to everyone who entered. :)

TGIF! What's everyone doing this weekend? I've got a few errands and am working on CITY SECRETS.

City Secrets (Canterwood Crest #9) cover to be revealed soon!

Hey guys!

I've been getting so many awesome notes about when the cover for CITY SECRETS will be revealed. The answer? Not sure yet. It's almost done and as soon as I get the okay to post it, you know I will! I can't wait for you all to see it--it's so gorgeous and fun!

Plus, there's a twist to this book that'll make it unlike any other Canterwood book before it. :)

And the title for book 9 is...

I didn't even know that the 9th Canterwood book was up on Amazon (no cover yet), but a supercool reader just sent me an e-mail saying it was there and she was excited. So, the ninth book is called CITY SECRETS and it comes out on July 10, 2010. Yay!

Also, the blog template is the process of getting a makeover. I love it!

Happy weekend!