Insider view of the Intricate Process of Author Collaborations (Halfway Perfect Edition)

Happy Release Day Halfway Perfect

Everyone has been asking, how does co-writing work? What is the process like? Well the science behind it is so complex, we can't reveal it's brilliance in one blog post. But today, we're going to give you a secret inside tidbit of our co-author experience that hopefully will show the importance of communication during idea sharing and the professionalism required to create a project like Halfway Perfect. Below you'll find a list of email subject headings from me to Mark or the other way around, all from crucial moments in this publication journey.

Email Subject Lines

1. 4/27/15 - I’ll check yours if you check mine
2. 10/21/14 - This dude kinda Looks like you? Maybe a little
3. 8/23/14 - Help!
4. 6/27/14 - The post shower conversation
5. 6/24/14 - makeup? make-up? make up?
6. 6/18/14 - going much faster now
7. 6/17/14 - Justin Beiber
8. 2/28/14 - Nevermind
9. 2/20/14 - I deviated
10. 1/29/14 - I think we dodged a bullet
11. 11/19/13 - I’m losing my mind a bit…
12. 10/9/13 - Sorry I’m being such a pain in the ass
13. 6/16/13 - Snooze
14. 4/23/13 - Needs Spanish scene
15. 4/12/13 - my facial symmetry
16. 2/4/13 - okay I changed my mind
17. 1/23/13 - My Salad
18. 1/5/13 - My thumb
19. 12/31/12 - Rocket Barbie
20. 9/11/12 - Fruity cheerleader drink
21. 8/22/12 - Underwear scene looks great
22. 7/28/12 - Calvin Klein...Dead or Alive??
23. 7/23/12 - I’m having one of those moments

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Five Facts About HALFWAY PERFECT

1) Co-author, Mark Perini, was the model who portrayed the main character on Julie Cross’ 

Tempest series books. He’s also been on many other YA covers 

https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/21313153?shelf=books-i-am-on-the-cover-of

2) In the book, main character, Alex books a big job modeling for Calvin Klein. CK is one of 

the few big designers/labels Mark hasn’t worked with (yet). Both authors are big CK fans

3) co-author, Julie Cross, started out writing Eve’s chapters, and Mark writing Alex’s, but plot 

elements and scenes required occasional swapping

4) Mark wrote parts of Halfway Perfect while in Milan, Italy for Fashion Week

5) Julie has never met a model in real life, not even Mark.

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ONLY ONE DAY TILL RELEASE DAY!!! Halfway Perfect MADNESS!!!

Only 2 Days Till Release DAY!!

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Don't forget about the Launch Event on the 8th!! 

Mark steps out of the shower...

I figured that title would make you look. And I was right. I'm a huge fan of ALL the books written by the lovely Simone Elkeles and just days ago she released the first episode in a web series based on her forthcoming novel WILD CARDS. And guess who's on that cover? My co-author and part namesake of this blog, Mark Perini. Wild Cards releases October 1st. I was lucky enough to read an advanced copy and it's fabulous!

He's also in the web series, though he only has one tiny role in this first episode and I think you might like it...

The Elegance

11:12 AMWhere Julie and I talk about Chinese style and fighting crime in the nude...
me: Nǐ hǎo

  How are you?

 Julie Cross: awesome! How are you?

 me: Good I'm in Hong Kong right now

 Julie Cross: What time is it there?

 me: 11:12 PM

11:13 AM Julie Cross: so weird, it's 10:12 AM here

 me: I'm still not used to the time difference

 Julie Cross: really? After all these weeks?

11:14 AM me: Not that I'm jet lagged or anything it's just weird to have everyone I know on a flip flopped schedule

11:15 AM Julie Cross: so you're blaming your American friends and family, huh?

  I don't mind, I like that we can still chat even from across the world. Technology is awesome

 me: Lol of course who else can I blame?

11:16 AM Your right I don't know what I would do without my iPhone...

  Apple I'll be looking for a handout anytime now

 Julie Cross: haha

  okay, tell me about this strip of photos. Did you take these in Hong Kong?

11:18 AM me: Actually I took them in Guangzhou which is where all the catalogs are done

  Totally an industrial city two hours from Hong Kong

11:19 AM Julie Cross: cool! Are you allowed to say what it was for?

11:20 AM me: Not till it's out

 Julie Cross: okay, we'll work around that part.

 me: But I think it's very much Chinese style

  Which I think is awesome

 Julie Cross: The second photo from the top is very Clark Kent

11:21 AM me: So different from other stuff I've done

 Julie Cross: are you wearing tights under that suit?

 me: Zero tights

 Julie Cross: a new look for Superman?

11:22 AM me: Lol fight crime in the nude lol

11:23 AM Julie Cross: I think that could be dangerous...things hanging free and all

11:24 AM Okay, I'll stay on topic from now on

  How many times did you have to change clothes?

11:26 AM me: Lol I don't know that much would get done

  12 times

 Julie Cross: wow, that's a lot

 me: Different options

11:27 AM Julie Cross: I like the bow tie a lot. It's that Chinese style right now?

11:28 AM me: I hope to influence the change to bow ties

11:29 AM Julie Cross: The lighting in the bottom half of the photos is SUPER cool. How did they that?

11:32 AM me: In some they held up a net in others they held up a basket it looks awesome though

11:33 AM Julie Cross: wow, that's creative. I would have never thought of that.

  how long did the whole shoot last?

10 minutes

11:44 AM me: Yeah the photographer was awesome the whole shoot took 4 hours

 Julie Cross: that doesn't seem too bad?

11:45 AM me: No it wasn't I've been at editorials that have lasted 12 hours

  Or days even

11:49 AM Julie Cross: or a week like out CK shoot in Halfway Perfect

 me: Exactly

11:50 AM but this was short and sweet...

  

What do you guys think about the shoot? Bow Ties yes or no? 
M.P.

Stage Fright?

Where Julie and I talk about stress induced narcolepsy...

12:14 PM How has everything been with all the Vortex release craziness? You been stressed?

12:15 PM Julie Cross: It has gotten a bit crazy all of a sudden and a little stressful but in a good way

12:16 PM me: Yeah a lot going on I'm sure...do you ever get nervous on the interviews or when your speaking?

12:17 PM Julie Cross: I always get very very nervous. To the point of anxiety.

12:18 PM You do stage performing too, what do you feel right before it starts?

12:20 PM me: Yeah I've been doing Improv for a year and before that I never preformed before I love it...Sometimes I get butterfly's in my stomach right before but I never really get nervous I'm always excited...

  But even as a kid I was always fine public speaking

12:23 PM Julie Cross: I had an event on Saturday...a one hour solo presentation in front of about 100 people and I noticed something that happens to be right before these types of events, like minutes before, I get really drowsy. Like I might fall asleep at any moment

MY CHARACTERS ARE NOT ME! I Swear They Aren't!

12:31 PM Julie Cross: okay, so one of our test readers said something on twitter (I just tried to find the tweet and I can't!) but it was along the lines of Mark = Alex, right?

  you know people are going to assume Alex's character is based on you...

12:32 PM me: @Juliecross1980 Is it wrong that I see @MarkTPerini as Alex in Halfway Perfect? Is that what's supposed to happen? Haha!

  That's the tweet right?

12:35 PM Alex is a fictional character that we both made up...but I think there are elements of myself within Alex's character that came out in the writing process...I would stop and think while writing what would I do in this situation and then how would Alex handle it...So there is a bit of mapping I would say...My reactions/intuitions mapped over a character...

Technology Traditionalist?! WHAT?

How to get Real

In which I find out whether Julie is  a technology Traditionalist or not? 

1:00 PM me: I've got a question...seeing that so much of your job is online and accessing the Internet why don't you have one of these amazing phones?

1:02 PM Julie Cross: There's two reasons for this...

  But first I have to say that I'm road-tripping with the family and might have interruptions to this g-chat

1:03 PM And no I'm not driving

9 minutes

1:12 PM Julie Cross: Sorry...I faded out. Anyway, I have this attachment issue with my electronic devices

Vortex Review

As you guys know my name is Mark Perini I am the model that plays Jackson on the cover of Vortex.  Julie asked me to do a review of Vortex on the day of it's released and I was so happy to oblige her request because that meant I was going to get an ARC copy of Vortex.