I am revising like a fiend. If you squint your eyes a little bit, I almost look like a Wolfson Wolf Pack Cub–keeping up with the pack. And I love it because the Wolf Pack is fabulous and I’m so proud to be a part of it. My Wolf Pack girls are insane, crazy producers and what makes them special is that they don’t just write quickly, they write amazing books.

(Usually this is me–slowly chewing on my thoughts in the corner. LOL!)

That’s why I wanted you to check out what’s new and coming your way. Wahhooooooo…

Kierten White: The author of the New York Times bestselling Paranormalcy trilogy (Paranormalcy, Supernaturally, and Endlessly) also has Mind Games, the first in a new series, out on February 19th. And she has an Egyptian mythology-based standalone, The Chaos of Stars, following in fall 2013, with the sequel to Mind Games in February, 2014.

Daisy Whitney: By day, Daisy Whitney is a new media producer, reporter and on-air host. At night, she writes novels for teens and is the author of THE MOCKINGBIRDS and its sequel THE RIVALS (Little, Brown). Her third novel WHEN YOU WERE HERE releases in June 4th, 2013 (Little, Brown), and her fourth novel STARRY NIGHTS (Bloomsbury) hits shelves in Fall 2013.

Kasie West: her debut novel, PIVOT POINT, will be published by HarperTeen Feb. 12, 2013. (Followed by its sequel a year later.) And THE DISTANCE BETWEEN US, her contemporary YA novel, will be published in the July 2, 2013 (HarperTeen).

Linda Grimes: is an author of light urban fantasy. Her first book, IN A FIX, was published by Tor in September 2012. The second in the series, QUICK FIX, will be released in the summer of 2013 (8-20-13).

Jennifer Iacopelli: Her first novel, GAME SET MATCH, will be released by Coliloquy in Spring 2013! (Cover coming soon!)

See I told you–awesome! What are you looking forward to reading from the Wolf Pack? Did you get your hands on any of these ARC’s yet? Since you can’t have these just yet, what are your Friday Reads?

Tags: Daisy Whitney, Game. Set. Match., In A FIx, Jennifer Iacopelli, Kasie West, Kiersten White, Kim Sabatini, Kimberly Sabatini, Linda Grimes, Michelle Wolfson, Mind Games, Pivot Point, Quick Fix, Starry Nights, The Chaos of Stars, The Distance Between Us, When You Were Here, Wolf Pack, Wolfson Literary

Get out your TBR list because MIND GAMES by my Wolf Pack sistah Kiersten White needs to be on it!

Fia was born with flawless instincts. Her first impulse, her gut feeling, is always exactly right. Her sister, Annie, is blind to the world around her—except when her mind is gripped by strange visions of the future.

Trapped in a school that uses girls with extraordinary powers as tools for corporate espionage, Annie and Fia are forced to choose over and over between using their abilities in twisted, unthinkable ways…

or risking each other’s lives by refusing to obey.

In a stunning departure from her New York Times bestselling Paranormalcy trilogy, Kiersten White delivers a slick, edgy, heartstoppingly intense psychological thriller about two sisters determined to protect each other—no matter the cost.

*Barnes & Noble

Kimberly’s Review:

I’ve erased this review like ten times because I’m having trouble. When I say that MIND GAMES is not the Paranormalcy Trilogy, I find myself stuck in an endless loop because I loved the Paranormalcy Trilogy, so I don’t want you to think for a minute that this is better, because it isn’t better–but yet–its better. *sheesh* The most accurate thing I can say is that Kiersten White has only begun to play mind games with her readers. It is evident by this unique, exciting and riveting book that White has just proven she’s not a one trick pony. She’s tiny like a pony–but she has lots of tricks and I love them. I love them so much, I want the sequel to this book NOW! So much so, I’m going to start harassing my agent to automatically put me on the top of the ARC list for MIND GAMES #2. Make a list. Check it twice. I’d better be on it. I know you hate me because it isn’t February yet, and you’re justified, but guess what–I’m not even a little bit sorry, because yeah, it was that good. LOL!

Tags: Harper Collins, Kiersten White, Kim Sabatini, Kimberly Sabatini, Mind Games, Wolf Pack, Wolfson Literary

For years I’ve been hearing people talk about NaNoWriMo –National Novel Writing Month. From November 1st until November 30th, participants set a goal of writing a 50,000 word novel. I’ll admit it, part of this has always intrigued me, but it has also scared the crap out of me and because of that, I’ve never seriously toyed with the idea of participating. I’ve had a list as long as my arm of reasons I could not participate and this year the excuses have grown with TOUCHING THE SURFACE coming out on October 30th. Just so you know where I’m coming from, I’ll share the highlights from that list with you…

*I HAVE THE BOOK LAUNCH OF MY DEBUT NOVEL!!!!!

*I’m working on revisions for book #2

*My local dance recital (I teach and dance) takes place in November.

*Thanksgiving

*I am a painfully slow writer who struggles through first drafts.

*I never get enough sleep.

*I’m still recovering from all the work we’ve done on the house.

*I have three boys ages 7,9 and 11 who participate in lots of activities and need help with their homework regularly.

*I like to run several times a week for a sanity break.

*I blog.

*I’m a procrastinator.

So, it’s obvious that I’m not going to be able to do NaNoWriMo this year…WHICH IS EXACTLY WHY I REGISTERED ON SATURDAY AND I’M SIGNING UP TODAY!!!!!

Ha! Bet you didn’t see that one coming. *grin* Yes, I know that I’m insane. Now let me tell you why I’m going to be giving this a shot…

*First of all–I’m going to be doing this because the SCBWI–particularly my Hudson Valley Shop Talk Members ROCK! Lisa Koosis, one of my local writer buds gave a guest presentation at my local Shop Talk and she got me sooooo excited to break out of my box and give this a try. She told me a million things to make me want to give it a go, but the three that stuck out the most were…

1. It’s just supposed to be fun.

2. Even if you don’t finish, you’ve probably done more than you would have without participating.

3. You can discover unexpected things about yourself.

As Lisa talked and I got a bunch of fluttery tingles in my belly–usually a sign that I’ve eaten something bad or I’m excited–I started to think about why I might want to participate in this event.

*I HAVE THE BOOK LAUNCH OF MY DEBUT NOVEL!!!!! And as exciting as this is–I’m scared. There I’ve said it. It’s exciting AND scary. (There will be a spin off blog post on this later) But I suddenly realized that it might be a really good thing for me to have a reason to step away from the madness. It’s a full circle thing–when a book is born, perhaps the best way to celebrate is to write something new. So…I think that it might be very healthy to have a reason to unglue my eyes from reviews and Amazon’s Author Central.

*I’m working on revisions for book #2. I love revision–it’s easily one of my favorite parts of the writing process. The story is there, it just has to be manipulated. I don’t know how long that process will take me, but I know that when it’s over, there will be the typical wave of fear and insecurity about having to write another first draft again. What if I can sneak in a part or all of a first draft while I’m revising? This idea intrigues me. I’ve been marinating ideas for book 3 for quite a while, but I don’t feel “ready” to tackle it yet. But what if I trick myself into thinking that NaNoWriMo is nothing more than hard-core stretching and training for the writer in me. What if I give myself permission to take a crack at this rough draft under the guise that it isn’t “real writing”–its an activity, an event, a journey.

*My local dance recital (I teach and dance) takes place in November. Yeah–and how many hours is that out of my life? Not enough to use it as an excuse. The truth is that I have days when I’m drafting, where I have six hours to sit and write and there are days when I squeeze in 45 minutes while the boys are at jujitsu. Not always, but often, I’ve managed to write the same amount of words on both of those days. Perhaps this is about FOCUS.

*Thanksgiving. I do not host Thanksgiving at my home. I spend the day eating and socializing. I watch the parade and I do kicks in my living room along with the Rockettes on TV. I can squeeze this in or I can double up on another day. Using this excuse makes me a turkey.

*I am a painfully slow writer who struggles through first drafts. At least this is how I think of myself. I have a system for writing and I like it–it works for me. The only time I really have trouble with it is when the other members of the Wolf Pack whip off manuscripts in sick amounts of time. It makes me queasy and insecure even though intellectually I know better. But what if I can do things a little differently. When I’m investing myself in a book I revert to wanting to attack it in a familiar method–one I’ve had success with. But this is a little like tricking myself into doing something different. What if shouldn’t be the gateway to potential failure–it should be a question that makes us want to try.

*I never get enough sleep. But I watch TV. I mean–not crazy amounts–but I make choices. It’s only for a month, right?

*I’m still recovering from all the work we’ve done on the house. But I still have a month to put things to rights and realistically, everything I clean is always going to get dirty again…dishes, laundry, kids. By the time I start, I’ll be much more organized than I have been in awhile. So I just have to make that effort to stay on top of daily chores so that I don’t go under physically or emotionally.

*I have three boys ages 7,9 and 11 who participate in lots of activities and need help with their homework regularly. I’m going to have three busy boys from now until forever. I started writing SURFACE when they were 2, 4 and 6 years old. I have no recollection of when I actually did that–but I must have. LOL! Besides, soccer ends mid-month, there is break after the recital and we do have a Thanksgiving break. Plus–they support me. And my lovely hubby has been traveling a lot which means I have no excuses.

*I like to run several times a week for a sanity break. No reason to stop. I write in my head when I run anyway. I let my subconscious take the lead when my feet are in a rhythm. No need to change that–it might help me get my words out faster when I sit down.

*I blog. Ha! I’m sure it’s going to give me lots to blog about.

*I’m a procrastinator. Sometimes, but not always…

Have you ever done NaNoWriMo? Completed it? Liked it? Loved it? Hated it? Have you been avoiding it like me? Secretly long to try? Have a great excuse for not playing? Tell how you NaNoWriMo or NaNoNoGo.

Tags: Chasing Adaptation, drafting, Kim Sabatini, Kimberly Sabatini, NaNoWriMo, revision, The Opposite of Gravity, Touching the Surface, Wolf Pack

***THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED***

Yesterday was my faux book birthday–the date that my book was originally, tentatively, going to be released. Oh, thank my lucky stars that they changed it. A book launch with three kids, the day before the first day of school, would have been less than ideal. LOL! But–yesterday was the REAL book birthday of my Wolf Pack sistah Linda Grimes. Her debut novel, IN A FIX hit the shelves and I just happened to be in the bookstore and couldn’t help but take that baby home with me. Of course I also have my pre-ordered copy in transit, so to celebrate my Faux Book Birthday and Linda’s Real Book Birthday, I’m giving away one of my copies of IN A FIX!!!!

The start of an original new urban fantasy series starring human chameleon Ciel Halligan

Snagging a marriage proposal for her client while on an all-expenses-paid vacation should be a simple job for Ciel Halligan, aura adaptor extraordinaire. A kind of human chameleon, she’s able to take on her clients’ appearances and slip seamlessly into their lives, solving any sticky problems they don’t want to deal with themselves. No fuss, no muss. Big paycheck.

This particular assignment is pretty enjoyable… that is, until Ciel’s island resort bungalow is blown to smithereens and her client’s about-to-be-fiancé is snatched by modern-day Vikings. For some reason, Ciel begins to suspect that getting the ring is going to be a tad more difficult than originally anticipated.

Going from romance to rescue requires some serious gear-shifting, as well as a little backup. Her best friend, Billy, and Mark, the CIA agent she’s been crushing on for years—both skilled adaptors—step in to help, but their priority is, annoyingly, keeping her safe. Before long, Ciel is dedicating more energy to escaping their watchful eyes than she is to saving her client’s intended.

Suddenly, facing down a horde of Vikings feels like the least of her problems.

Yes, I rock for sharing, but I have even bigger motivations than howling about the awesomeness of the Wolf Pack. (Although that would be enough.)  Besides the fact that IN A FIX and Linda are made of awesome and martinis, I have another great reason to pimp her book–It’s Darcy Pattinson’s Random Acts of Publicity Week. Woo hoo!!!!! Oh, wait–you haven’t heard? Here’s the info directly from the Facebook event page…

4th Annual Random Acts of Publicity 2012, September 4-7

The Random Acts of Publicity 2012 will focus this year on Conversations about Books. The basic idea of the Random Acts of Publicity is to take the focus off you and your books for a week and instead focus on a friend’s book or a favorite book. How can you help that book’s sales? We know that the basic things you can do is to Blog, link, Like, review, or talk about the book .

This year, we want to focus on Conversations about Books. What are the talking points of the book you want to feature? How can you start a conversation? Are there behind the scenes stories that make the book sound more interesting? Do different audiences require different talking points and different conversations? How do you create online conversations? How often do you start in-person conversations about a book? Let’s TALK about Talking about Books this week.

Tags: Contest, Darcy Pattison, In A FIx, Kim Sabatini, Kimberly Sabatini, Linda Grimes, Random Acts of Publicity, Wolf Pack, Wolfson Literary

In the Book Blogging world–Wednesday is considered WOW day–Waiting on Wednesday! This is when book enthusiasts talk about up and coming reads they covet. But today it’s a little different on my blog. I’m going to share a book that I recently finished that is just plain WOW!!! As in–you are going to want to put this one on your Waiting on Wednesday list ASAP! Okay…stop tapping your foot impatiently. I’ll let you know what the book is before I get carried away talking about it…

PIVOT POINT by Kasie West

Coming February 12, 2013

I bet you’re wondering how I got to read it so early. Lucky me–Kasie is part of Michelle Wolfson’s Wolf Pack!!! When I found out my agent had copies of PIVOT POINT, I bullied and threatened her to put me first on the ARC Tour!!! Soooo glad I did that! *grin* Here’s a little bit a about PIVOT POINT…

Addison Coleman’s life is one big “What if?” As a Searcher, whenever Addie is faced with a choice, she can look into the future and see both outcomes. It’s the ultimate insurance plan against disaster. Or so she thought. When Addie’s parents ambush her with the news of their divorce, she has to pick who she wants to live with–her father, who is leaving the paranormal compound to live among the “Norms,” or her mother, who is staying in the life Addie has always known. Addie loves her life just as it is, so her answer should be easy. One Search six weeks into the future proves it’s not.
In one potential future, Addie is adjusting to life outside the Compound as the new girl in a Norm high school where she meets Trevor, a cute, sensitive artist who understands her. In the other path, Addie is being pursued by the hottest guy in school–but she never wanted to be a quarterback’s girlfriend. When Addie’s father is asked to consult on a murder in the compound, she’s unwittingly drawn into a drawn into a dangerous game that threatens everything she holds dear. With love and loss in both lives, it all comes down to which reality she’s willing to live through…and who she can’t live without.

“Kasie West is a master of suspense. The unique structure–seeing two alternate realities playing out at once–leaves you pleading with the characters, don’t answer that phone, don’t go to that house, don’t talk to that person. PIVOT POINT is at once tense and romantic, challenging and engaging. It’s a truly remarkable debut.” (Robison Wells, Author of VARIANT)

“West’s debut is an expertly plotted, delightfully clever story. Addie’s dual realities pull the reader along to a startling—and devastatingly unavoidable—finale. I can’t wait for the next book!” (Kiersten White, New York TimesBestselling Author of PARANORMALCY)

“With superb storytelling, a masterful blend of paranormal and normal, a helping of wit and humor, and a mouth-watering romance, PIVOT POINT is one of the most delicious books I’ve read.” (Elana Johnson, Author of POSSESSION)

You can Pre-order PIVOT POINT here…

*Barnes & Noble

*Amazon

*IndieBound

Kimberly Sabatini’s Review of PIVOT POINT

I’ll be honest. Most of the time I know what’s going to happen in a book. Maybe not the smallest details, but the big picture is usually there–I’m a good predictor. If the writing is really good–and most of the time it is–it doesn’t take away from my enjoyment of the story. But from time to time, I like it when I’m stumped, frantic and half-crazed, wondering where this novel is going to end. PIVOT POINT by Kasie West took me there and I loved it!!!

Addison Coleman’s life is one big “What if” and I was immediately fascinated by this and what it meant for the story line, but also because it is a life concept that has always intrigued me. Have you ever had that urge to take one road and found a way to talk yourself out of it, only to end up stuck in traffic wishing you had listened to your instinct? Addie has the ability to look down both of those roads and decide which one has the better outcome. BUT…knowing both paths doesn’t necessarily make choosing any easier. In fact, sometimes being cognizant is even harder. PIVOT POINT had me on the edge of my seat trying figure out how it was going to end. Without giving any spoilers–I’ll tell you it ended perfectly–with the proper balance of satisfaction and anticipation for the next book. I LOVED this book and it still has me thinking!!!

Kasie West

I love to write–too much. It’s a sickness really. My debut novel, PIVOT POINT, will be published by HarperTeen Feb. 12, 2013. (Followed by its sequel a year later.)

THE DISTANCE BETWEEN US, my comtemporary YA novel, will be published in the Fall of 2013 (HarperTeen).

My agent is the talented, funny, and sometimes crazy, Michelle Wolfson.

You can find out more about Kasie West and PIVOT POINT here…

*Website/Blog

*Twitter

*The Lucky 13s

*Goodreads

So, what do you think about PIVOT POINT? What about the concept intrigues you the most? Have you ever had one of those moments where you made that pivotal choice? Was it a good one or a bad one?

Tags: Book Review, Kasie West, Kim Sabatini, Kimberly Sabatini, Michelle Wolfson, Pivot Point, Wolf Pack, Wolfson Literary

I know your jealous.

I got to read an ARC of Linda Grime’s debut novel IN A FIX!!!!

How did this wonderful thing happen to little old me? Well, Linda and I are Wolf Pack Sistahs. We share the same amazing agent–Michelle Wolfson of Wolfson Literary!!!! And to prove how wonderful Michelle is, she has allowed me to use my ARC of IN A FIX for a contest giveaway. I’ll pause for a moment while you to get excited…

While I’m waiting for you to stop jumping up and down, I’ll tell you a little bit about Linda Grimes and IN A FIX…

In a Fix

September 4, 2012
Tor Books

The start of an original new urban fantasy series starring human chameleon Ciel Halligan

Snagging a marriage proposal for her client while on an all-expenses-paid vacation should be a simple job for Ciel Halligan, aura adaptor extraordinaire. A kind of human chameleon, she’s able to take on her clients’ appearances and slip seamlessly into their lives, solving any sticky problems they don’t want to deal with themselves. No fuss, no muss. Big paycheck.

This particular assignment is pretty enjoyable… that is, until Ciel’s island resort bungalow is blown to smithereens and her client’s about-to-be-fiancé is snatched by modern-day Vikings. For some reason, Ciel begins to suspect that getting the ring is going to be a tad more difficult than originally anticipated.

Going from romance to rescue requires some serious gear-shifting, as well as a little backup. Her best friend, Billy, and Mark, the CIA agent she’s been crushing on for years — both skilled adaptors — step in to help, but their priority is, annoyingly, keeping her safe. Before long, Ciel is dedicating more energy to escaping their watchful eyes than she is to saving her client’s intended.

Suddenly, facing down a horde of Vikings feels like the least of her problems.

“A fast-paced, sexy romp with characters as original as its intriguing premise!”
— DIANA GABALDON, NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF OUTLANDER

“Linda Grimes’s fast paced supernatural debut is fresh, fun, and sexy, and heroine Ciel Halligan faces both the outlandish and the deadly with a perfect balance of equanimity, irreverence, and nerve. I can’t wait to see where her wild adventures lead her next!”
— VICKI PETTERSSON, NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE SIGNS OF THE ZODIAC SERIES

You can Pre-order IN A FIX here…

*Amazon

*Barnes & Noble

*Powell’s Books

*Indie Bound

*Books-A-Million

Kimberly’s Review of IN A FIX:

If you follow my reviews, you’ll find that the majority of what I review is Young Adult novels. But I really do enjoy reading other types of books, particularly when they are books from people who have already won me over with their personality and writing style. Linda Grimes is one of my Wolf Pack Sistahs. We’re both represented by the lovely Michelle Wolfson, giving me the squee-worthy opportunity to read Linda’s debut novel as an ARC.

IN A FIX is kick-ass creative! I found the idea of Aura Adaption to be extremely interesting and never did Grimes lose control of the concept. The premise wasn’t bogged down in back story and considering all the people moving going on, I was extremely impressed that I always knew who was who–unless I wasn’t supposed to.

Ciel was an extremely likable character. Flawed and fun, with just the right amount of gumption. And the boys??? Gahhhh Grimes had me on the edge of my seat trying to figure out which one I liked more. Seeing as they were all pretty steamy, it was a lot of fun trying to decide. I raced through this debut novel and I can’t wait to read more by Linda Grimes. <3

Linda Grimes grew up in Texas, where she rode horses, embarrassed herself onstage a lot, and taught high school English to students who were more interested in heckling her at the theater where she moonlighted than in learning to conjugate verbs. Somewhere after horses and before teaching, she spent a semester abroad at Stockholm University, where she picked up enough of the native language to become linguistically entertaining. At least, her Swedish teacher seemed entertained when Linda, while attempting to relate, in Swedish, how her aunt had laughed at her, instead claimed her aunt had peed on her. (In Linda’s defense, you’d be surprised at how similar “laughed at” and “peed on” sound in Swedish, at least to American ears.)
Linda currently resides in northern Virginia with her theater-god husband, who succumbed to her charms after seeing her in a musical number at the now defunct Melodrama Theater in San Antonio. (There’s nothing like a rousing chorus of “If You Wanna Catch a Fish You Gotta Wiggle Your Bait” to hook a man for a lifetime.) They managed to spawn two brilliant and gorgeous children—a daughter and a son—both possessed of such generosity of spirit they will no doubt fight over who gets to support their parents when the time comes.
Like her globetrotting main character, Linda has spent her share of time overseas, where, among other things, she witnessed—up close and personal—a police takedown of purse snatcher in Paris, became a bit too acquainted with a gun-running couple in Ireland (through a misunderstanding while breaking into the ruins of a castle closed for the season), and almost froze to death in an ice cave in Switzerland. She has since decided that writing is slightly less hazardous than travel, and tends to stay firmly planted behind her keyboard, torturing her characters instead.

*** You probably want to know how you can win my ARC of IN A FIX. In the comments, please tell me who’s appearance you would like to slip into?  Who would  you like to be an Aura Adaptor for? Be sure to leave your email address in your comment so that I can let you know if you’re a winner!!!

BTW…You can find out more about Linda Grimes and her debut novel IN A FIX here…

*Blog/Website

*Twitter

*The Debutant Ball

*Facebook

Tags: Contest, In A FIx, Kim Sabatini, Kimberly Sabatini, Linda Grimes, Michelle Wolfson, Wolf Pack, Wolfson Literary

Here’s your Monday mash-up!

*TOUCHING THE SURFACE has a new release date–October 30th!!!! I know that means that I’m making you wait a little bit longer, but it also means that I get to launch my book during my favorite time of year. I can’t help but be excited–only eight months to go!!!

*Guess what’s available for pre-order??? Yup–TOUCHING THE SURFACE is on Amazon. I can’t even begin to tell you how cool this is. *does a little twirly dance* Feel free to stop over and hit the like button for the hardcover and for the Kindle ebook or…you can even pre-order it now. OMG!!!!  I can’t believe I’m finally getting to say that.

*Want to learn some funky facts? You can now find out more about me and TOUCHING THE SURFACE on the Simon & Schuster website. Kimberly Sabatini-Author Revealed. You can even sign up for email updates.

*Friday night was a blast. I got to head to one of my favorite Indie bookstores,Oblong Music & Books, for their monthly Hudson Valley YA Society Event.

Jennifer Laughran (Andrea Brown Lit) Introducing Kate Ellison and Lauren Oliver!!! Yes, you heard me correctly.

Kate Ellison and Lauren Oliver talking about books and writing.

Lauren Oliver, Kimberly Sabatini, Kate Ellison *squee*

Linda Hanlon got a picture too. And yes, Lauren is really that tall and doesn’t Kate wears really cool tights?

Woot!!! Got to share Class of 2k12 swag and my ARC of TOUCHING THE SURFACE with some new friends and my buddy April from Good Books and Good Wine.

So, have you pre-ordered any highly anticipated books off of your wish list lately? I have to confess, I just pre-ordered all the Class of 2k12 books that are currently available. I wish that would make them come faster!!! I also pre-ordered IN A FIX by my Wolf Pack sistah Linda Grimes!!!! I can’t wait to read them all!!!!

Tags: Author Revealed, Hudson Valley YA Society Event, Jennifer Laughran, Kate Ellison, Kim Sabatini, Kimberly Sabatini, Lauren Oliver, Linda Grimes, Oblong Books, Pre-order on Amazon, Pub Date, Simon and Schuster, Simon Pulse, Touching the Surface, Wolf Pack

Are you excited to read ENDLESSLY by Kiersten White?  You should be.

You can pre-order ENDLESSLY here…Barnes & Noble, Amazon, IndieBound and for additional links check Goodreads.

Kimberly Sabatini’s review of ENDLESSLY by Kiersten White…

*Sigh* I am so bleeping sad that the Paranormalcy Trilogy is over. I was lucky enough to obtain an ARC of ENDLESSLY through my agent Michelle Wolfson’s Wolf Pack ARC Tour. But the fact that Kiersten is an agency sister plays no bearing on my delight in reading ENDLESSLY and my disappointment that it’s over.

I am going to miss Evie and all the characters in her paranormal world. They were unique and I know that they will never come my way again.

What else did I love about this book and all the books in the trilogy? I adore Kiersten’s humor for starters. I always find myself laughing at her quirky bleeping way with words and her creativity. Her take on the paranormal world is delightful. And my favorite thing about the books? It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that Kiersten writes fluff, because it’s just so much fun to read, but if you’re paying attention, she has depth and layers to what she shares with her audience. She gives deep thoughts and guidance in a way that is never patronizing. She doesn’t talk down to her readers–she wins them over and is a role model through her characters. I mean–who wouldn’t want to grow up to be just like Evie. And I’m not just saying that because I want a pink taser!

Without a doubt, ENDLESSLY comes to a fulfilling end, but I may never stop asking Kiersten to whisper in my ear about what happens to Evie in five, ten, twenty years–she’s become a friend and I don’t want to let her go.

Congratulations, Kiersten–You’ve done a fantastic job. Can’t wait to read your next book. <3

You can find out more about Kiersten White, ENDLESSLY and the Paranormalcy Trilogy here…

*Kiersten White’s Website

*Kiersten White’s Blog

*Twitter

*Facebook

*Goodreads

Tags: Book Review, Endlessly, Kiersten White, Kim Sabatini, Kimberly Sabatini, Michelle Wolfson, Paranrmalcy Trilogy, Touching the Surface, Wolf Pack, Wolfson Literary, YA Author, YA Book, YA Novel, YA Writer

It’s Sunday.  Technically it’s Super Bowl Sunday and I’m sitting in the middle of a football party in my living room. I’m in the big chair in the corner with my lap top and a heavy-duty set of ear plugs, digging into this last conference post that took place last Sunday. I’d like to say this is dedication, but truly it’s not.  I’m *gasp* not a football die hard and I only feel compelled to even be in the living room (instead of hiding upstairs) because my kids think I should be thrilled about this spectacular sports event. I do not begrudge them the excitement and passion of the game, I feel the same emotion when I go to the “Super Bowl” of kid lit writing events.  To each his own and if you like both…more power to you.  Let’s kickoff this last conference post!

Sunday January 29th, 2012

8:30-9:00  AWARD PRESENTATION for the Tomie dePaola Award and the Art Showcase winners but first a HUGE shout-out for the staff of the SCBWI.

Feel free to stop reading and give them a little standing ovation…I’ll wait.

Now, on to the Portfolio Showcase Winner: Mike Curato

This could have easily been a picture of me standing in front of the cupcake counter at the Magnolia Bakery.  Mike obviously knows how to capture a moment!

You can check out the art from the rest of the winners on the SCBWI Conference blog and also find artwork from more of our talented illustrators on the SCBWI’s Illustrator Gallery.

9:00-9:15  SURPRISE ANNOUNCEMENT by Jane Yolen

I don’t know about you, but I get tingly just thinking about Jane Yolen speaking–she always captures my attention and has something fantastic to say.  This year was no exception.  The SCBWI has started the Jane Yolen Mid-List Author Grant.

Here is what Lee Wind on the SCBWI Blog had to say about it…

“Congratulations to Mary K. Whittington for winning this year’s inaugural Jane Yolen Mid-List Author grant! A published author who hasn’t had a new book come out in a while, Mary recently had a stroke, and is halfway through writing a new novel using voice recognition software. Jane calls Mary her hero, and hopes the grant helps her get that novel finished and out into the world.

And our cheers as well to Ann Whitford Paul and Barbara Diamond Golden for their honor grants.

More information about the Jane Yolen Mid-List Author Grant (and how to nominate a mid-list author you know for next year) will be forthcoming on scbwi.org, where you’ll find information on all the author and illustrator Grants and Awards.”

Yes…Jane Yolen is made of awesome!

9:15-10:15  PANEL: METHODS TO THE MADNESS: THE PROCESS OF MAKING PICTURE BOOKS: Featuring the Bookmakers Dozen and  moderated by Laurent Linn

Don’t hate me–I loved the Bakers Dozen, but there were just too many people for one panel.  So many, I’m not even going to list them all.  It took me the first half hour of the presentation to figure out who was who.  But I did jot down a couple gems from Peter Brown…

*If you plan on making a career in this business–you have to be an idea factory!

*You need to take the reader into account–you don’t want to make the best book ever that no one reads.

*You don’t want to be the last one to write a vampire book–you want to be the first one to write a robovamp book.  Don’t steal that.

Time to goof off a little before the next panel…Lin said to stretch.

Scott, Jodi, Kim and Sam

Allan, Justin and Scott…ready to tackle the agent panel. LOL!

10:30-11:30  PANEL” THE CURRENT MARKET FOR YOUR WORK: FOUR AGENTS’ VIEWS

Moderator (LO) Lin Oliver

(GK) Ginger Knowlton, Agent, Curtis Brown LTD.

(RB) Regina Brooks, Founder and President, Serendipity Literary Agency, LLC

(CR) Chris Richman, Agent, Upstart Crow Literary

(KW) Ken Wright, Agent, Writers House

***I’M INTERRUPTING THIS BLOG WITH A PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT…THE GIANTS HAVE SCORED A TOUCH DOWN!!!!  EVERYONE SEEMS EXCITED. NOW BACK TO OUR REGULAR PROGRAMING.***

State of the market…

(KW) Every time I make a submission, editors are asking where is this book going to go and how is the author going to get me there. The days are gone when someone can acquire a book just because they “like it.”

(GK) Exciting, Exhilarating, Exhausting

What are you looking for?

(CR) Voice…but a lot comes down to the hook.

(KW) I choose based on what I know about individual editors.

(RB) My job is to come up with ways to position the book.

(GK) Lots of debut novels being published, so agents and editors are looking for fresh voices.

(KW) YA is going to continue to trend.

On building a career author…

(GK) Nurture every connection–small community, play nice.

(CR) The more attractive you can make yourself, the more likely we are to want to work with you.  (No…not physically attractive. *head thump*)

11:30-12:30  CLOSING KEYNOTE: KEEPING YOUR FOCUS by Kathryn Erskine

I love how animated and enthusiastic Kathryn is!

F-freedom

O-organization

C-creativity

U-understanding

S-sharing

Here’s the best of each category…

FREEDOM

*Create whenever you can.

*Free yourself from the guilt that you’re taking time away from other people.

*Free yourself from self-doubt. Do you remember what books got awards when you were 15? No–you remember what books moved you.

*Whenever you think about hanging it up–remember there is a kid out there who needs you.

ORGANIZATION

*Organize your workspace.

*Organize your MS–Scrivener.  (I’m a personal fan.)

CREATIVITY

*To be creative you really have to take care of yourself.

*Being creative is hard, sublime, ridiculous.

*You’ve got to do what works for you.

UNDERSTANDING

*What do you want to say?

*Understand your audience–how to relate you your readers.

SHARING

*At some point you have to let your “baby” out into the world, but have it ready.  Taking some time to do it right is worth it.

*Published of now, take some time to connect with your readers NOW.

STAY FOCUSED…

*You know your passion–that’s why you’re here.

*talent plus determination.

*Books save us.

12:30-1:00  DOOR PRIZES AND CLOSING REMARKS

1:00-3:00 AUTOGRAPH PARTY!!!!!!

Chris Crutcher and Me!!!!

Making a cyber friend into a real life friend.  Cindy Rodriguez and Me.  And yes, I have on my TEAM WOLF PACK T-shirt!!!!

Class of 2k12 love–Me and Lynda Mullaly Hunt.

Kim and Kathryn Erskine–totally LOVE her!!!!

Kathryn Erskine signed one special for my Fishkill Frogs!

Me and my best buddy, Jodi Moore–author of WHEN A DRAGON MOVES IN. *love*

Me and the love triangle queen, Cassandra Clare.

Cheryl Klein is AWESOME!!! That’s all I have to say. *grin*

Lin Oliver signing for my boys who ADORE her books!!!!!!

The perfect end to a perfect weekend. (Magnolia Bakery)

Hope you enjoyed my virtual tour of the NY SCBWI Conference.  Next I’ll be heading to the Eastern PA 20th Annual Pocono Mountain Retreat, where I’ll be spending the weekend with…drum roll…Laurie Halse Anderson. *SQUEE*  If you’re not too far away, think about signing up, I’d love to hang out with you.

Any conferences in your future?  Tell me where you’re heading–I always love to hear about your writing adventures and I’d love to read about what you’ve learned along the way. Were you at NY?  What was your highlight? And who won that Super Bowl?  And were you watching?

Tags: Cassandra Clare, Cheryl Klein, Chris Crutcher, Class of 2k12, Jane Yolen, Jodi Moore, Kathryn Erskine, Kim Sabatini, Kimberly Sabatini, Magnolia Bakery, NY12SCBWI, SCBWI, Super Bowl, Touching the Surface, Wolf Pack

By the time you grab your coffee and read this, I’ll be eating a bagel at the Marketing Workshop at the New York SCBWI Conference.  That’s a thumbs up for bagels and marketing knowledge and a raspberry for getting up that early in the morning.  Thinking ahead–yes, I AM talking about me.  *gives you the stink eye* I planned out today’s blog post and Monday’s because I’ll be spending my first day after the conference in bagel detox.  And sadly, reclimbing Mt. Laundrious as my kids have come to call that pile of clothes in their closet that almost touches the ceiling.  Cheeky little bugger aren’t they.  So, since I was out in the wild at the train station, this morning, I thought that In The Wild would be a wonderful theme for today’s blog.

Not too long ago I mentioned that my local B&N had relocated the YA department from–right next to the kids section…to snuggled up in the adult section.  I asked my friend Linda (who works there) how the change was going and she gave it a thumbs up. I also promised some pictures of the new arrangement…

A display table that is chock full of books and the aisles behind the table are all YA!

So many of my favorite titles and authors hanging out on the shelves.

Sorry, these didn’t look this blurry on my phone. Grrrr…

And as I was wandering around, petting and hugging the books, I found some books that I’d never seen out in “The Wild” before. You can click on the picture to find out more about the book and it’s author.

Double Apocalypsie Trouble–Click on the pic for a link to more info about Brodi Ashton’s EVERNEATH and click HERE for more info about TEMPEST by Julie Cross

UNDER THE NEVER SKY by Veronica Rossi–An Apocalypsie!!!

THE MOCKINGBIRDS by Daisy Whitney–one of Michelle Wolfson’s Wolf Pack!!!!

DARKER STILL: Magic Most Foul Book #1 by Leanna Renee Hieber–Also and Apocalypsie!!!

Another Apocalypsie!!! FRACTURED by Megan Miranda

Another Wolf Pack author!!! Two out of three of the PARANORMALCY series by Kiersten White–Did I tell you that I’m reading ENDLESSLY RIGHT NOW!!! Yes, be jealous.

My class of 2k12 girl–Robin Bridges with THE GATHERING STORM Book#1 of the Katerina Trilogy

Apocalypsie Double Trouble! Click on the picture for a link to Brodi Ashton’s EVERNEATH and click HERE for more on TEMPEST by Julie Cross.

My Simon Pulse Housemate–Lucas Klauss with EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW TO SURVIVE THE APOCALYPSE

Apocalypsie and NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLING AUTHOR Marissa Meyer and CINDER!!!!!

I can’t even tell you how exciting it is to see all these books out in the wild.  So exciting!!!!  Can’t wait to stop in again soon and see who else is peaking out at me from the shelves.

FYI–I’ll be blogging about the conference when I get back, but in the meantime you can follow the conference live from twitter–just follow #NY12SCBWI  I’ll do my best to keep you up to date.  So, have you read any of the books that I’ve spotted out in the wild?  What did you think?  Any that you’re lusting for?

Tags: Apocalypsies, Arissa Meyer, Barnes & Noble, Brodi Ashton, Daisy Whitney, Julie Cross, Kiersten White, Kim Sabatini, Kimberly Sabatini, Leanna Renee Hieber, Lucas Klauss, Megan Miranda, Michelle Wolfson, Robin Bridges, Simon Pulse, Touching the Surface, Veronica Rossi, Wolf Pack, YA Author, YA Book, YA Novel, YA Writer