Archive for the ‘Apocalypsies’ Category
Just like my Freaky Friday Interviews of aspiring authors, I’ve discovered that there’s a whole world of YA bloggers just starting out. I thought it would be fun to highlight some of these newbie bloggers because-lets face it-bloggers are freaky book lovers too and we should all work together in our quest to take over the world one YA book at a time. Today’s newbie blogger is Jessica Baker of Just a Booklover. Jessica and I are both native New York Staters so we absolutely hit it off as soon as we started talking, but let me share with you a million other reasons why you should get to know her too…
Could you tell me a little about you and how you came to be a blogger?
Well, I’m Jessica. I love to read (not surprising) and when I’m not reading, I like to write in my free time. It amuses me. You know, writing the story I would most like to read and all. I have three brothers and three nephews. I grew up in Buffalo, New York and lived there a majority of my life. Now I live in Texas where I read books, do schoolwork, and blog my booty off.
I became a blogger because I wanted to tell people what I thought of books. In school and at home, I’d always look around on B&N’s website and see the reviews posted and thought that I wanted to do that too–write things about a book for everyone to see and listen to when they are deciding whether or not to read or buy a book. But I was too lazy then and kept putting off actually making a blog, telling myself I’d do it later. But then one day one Twitter, Sarah Rees Brennan (author of The Demon’s Lexicon trilogy) posted a link to someone who gave The Demon’s Lexicon a bad review. (She liked the title of the post, so she decided to post the link.) I read the review and disagreed one million and twelve percent. I had LOVED The Demon’s Lexicon and had just finished the other two books in the trilgy, too. Again, they were amazing. Plus, the person that wrote the bad review hadn’t even finished the book and that kind of made me mad because how can you judge a whole book of you had only read a part of it? But that’s not the point. The point is that I started my blog so I could post a review of The Demon’s Lexicon trilogy that I believed was much more appropriate. It was the first review I’d ever written, and I kept at it on my new pretty blog ever since. (Well, the blog hasn’t always been pretty, but still. Improvements have been made, thank goodness.)
I love how you got started with a fiery passion! Who has had an influence on you in the blogging community. What have they taught you? Who do you look up to?
I HAVE to start this by mentioning Anna. Anna is my blogging idol. She has her own blog (obviously) called Literary Exploration and I look up to her the most out of any other bloggers. If I ever got to choose anyone to be my blogging big sister, Anna would be my pick without a question. She actually helped me with what to ask on my first author interview (being posted on June 8) and has given me a helpful blogging tip or two :). After Anna, I’d probably say there’s Jana. She has a blog called The Book Goddess and she’s the wonderful person who designed my blog badge. It is so gorgeous and perfect and I’ll love her forver for it! Plus, we’re on a DeamonInvasion team together, and she is always helpful with things when I ask her for help. Next we have Kreag who is super nice, and has a blog called I Devour Books. He helped me decide on whether or not to review a book one time and we’ve been friends ever since. Now we have Monica from Cover Analysis 🙂 She is one of my very best blogger friends. She’s let me borrow a book, I’ve sent her extra swaggish-things, and I made a button for her meme “What I Got.” We are also working on a challenge together. I’m not going to bore y’all with the details, but . . . yeah.
I think it’s awesome that they have taken you under their wing. Everyone has to start somewhere and I’m really impressed with their mentoring. Two thumbs up! What advice would you give new book bloggers? Is there any big mistakes you’ve made that they should avoid?
Don’t be shy about asking other bloggers for help if you’re confused about something. From what I’ve seen so far, most bloggers are super nice, and though they have AMAZING BLOGS, they aren’t as intimidating to talk to as you think they’ll be. They’re normal people, just like you and me, who love books. Another thing, don’t get to down about your number of followers. Gaining them seriously takes time, and at the moment, I still don’t have that many. You should always post as if a whole bunch of people are looking at what you write because who knows? Maybe someone will drop by, like what they see, and follow your blog. You wouldn’t want to dissuade them with poor writing. Last, don’t be afraid to experiment with your design. It took me somewhere around a month to find a blog design I liked and then even more time to decide on organization and I’m STILL moving things around.
I think you are adorable and I LOVE your positive attitude! What do you want to see from author/blogger relationships and interactions, considering they are always growing and changing?I just really like to see bloggers and authors friendly with each other and helping each other out. Like this interview–you help out newbie bloggers like little ole me. And you do this for other bloggers, too. And bloggers tell people about authors’ books. I like when authors are nice and acknowledge bloggers for what they do–even if it’s in a small way, like retweeting a tweet about a review of their book. It seems small, but to me that kind of thing means a lot. I LOVE when authors go one step further and actually read my reviews. That’s not really necessary, though. The RTing thing was good enough for me. I’m not picky about that kind of thing.
(((hugs))) I think we are all at our best when we’re helping each other out. Now I need to know your top 5 most loved books that have had an impact on you and why.
This question kills me! I’m just going to do top 5 most loved books AT THIS EXACT MOMENT, because my intense feelings for particular books change over time. As I read more things, one book could get bumped out by another book or something.
5. The Selection by Keira Cass. I just finished reading this book a couple days ago and this book made me so happy. I have to say the impact it has on me was just amazing-ness. Like, so good I was sad it was over. (My teams are important – Team Maxon.)
4. The Strange Angels series by Lili St. Crow, or if I have to pick just one of them, I’ll go with Jealousy. Or maybe Defiance. I adored this series. Dru is a stunning protaganist and Christophe is one of my favorite attractive male characters. This series is over, but I really wish it wasn’t. I was elated when I got the last book this past Christmas, though. A happy day, right there. (Team Christophe, obiviously.)
3. The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins. Do you even have to ask what it is about this book? Well, there’s . . . urm . . . Peeta. And a lot of fun killing things. And epic archery. And Peeta. And Cinna. And Haymitch. And parts that make me laugh. And Peeta. And parts that make me cry. And Peeta. And parts that make me want to slap somebody. And did I mention Peeta? Hehe. (Team Peeta, CLEARLY.)
2. Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi. This book was glued to my fingers from the moment I began reading it to the moment I finished. And all the while, I was crying inside because I kept getting nearer to the end. When a book has that kind of power over me, it gets on lists like these 😉 (I’m not too sure what team I’m on yet.)
1. Under the Never Sky by Veonica Rossi. This book surprised me because I didn’t think it would be anywhere near as epic as it was. But then I read it, and . . . well it’s number one on my list. And I’ve read a few books since then. I think that should speak for itself. Oh, and Perry. And Roar. Just saying. (There’s only really one team to pick here. . . PERRY.)
Quick statement: Divergent by Veronica Roth was almost on this list, but got bumped out a couple days ago by The Selection. But I love Divergent, too. Erudite all the way!
Thank you so much for asking me to do this interview!
♥Jessica(:
Yay!!! Happy to see some Apocalypsies on you list!!! I know what you mean about favorites always changing…there are just so many good books out there. And Jessica–thank you for taking the time to hang out on my blog. It has been lovely getting to know you better. Make sure you stop by Jessica’s blog Just A Booklover. You can also find her on Twitter as @makesmeworse12.
Tags: Baby Book Blogger, Book Bloggers, Jessica Baker, Just A Booklover, Kim Sabatini, Kimberly Sabatini
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It’s your lucky day! I’m having a creepy giveaway. I’ve got two books here that will make your hands sweat while you’re reading them. First up is DISPIRITED by Luisa M. Perkins…
Cathy sees things that are invisible to everyone else. Her new stepbrother’s bizarre behavior. A ghostly little boy. An abandoned house in the woods. But she doesn’t see how they’re all connected. And what she doesn’t see might just kill her.
READ AN EXCERPT HERE.
Luisa M. Perkins is the author of Dispirited, published by Zarahemla Books in March 2012, and co-author of the novel The Book of Jer3miah, forthcoming from Shadow Mountain in August 2012.
Past publications include the cookbook Comfortably Yum and the LDS YA novel Shannon’s Mirror. She has had numerous short stories and essays published in print and online. She has been a member of the Whitney Awards Committee for the past two years. She and her husband Patrick live with their six children in New York’s Hudson Highlands.
Kimberly Sabatini’s Review of DISPIRITED…
DISPIRITED is one little creeper of a book and I mean that in the very best of ways. What I loved about it was that Perkins made reality, myth and the paranormal seamlessly blend in a way that captured my attention and made me wonder if there was really a lot more going on under my day to day reality. If you’ve ever had a chill run down your spine for no reason–DISPIRITED will make you wonder if perhaps you weren’t just being perceptive.
Bonus love for this book because Perkins wrote this while living in my area and her writing was peppered with local references making the story even more believable and interesting for me. If you like IMAGINARY GIRLS by Nova Ren Suma or a darker story that makes you think AND shiver…DISPIRITED is a perfect choice for you.
The second book you have a chance to win is WHAT SHE LEFT BEHIND by Tracy Bilen.
“Don’t even think of leaving…I will find you,” he whispered. “Guaranteed.”
Sara and her mom have a plan to finally escape Sara’s abusive father. But when her mom doesn’t show up as expected, Sara’s terrified. Her father says that she’s on a business trip, but Sara knows he’s lying. Her mom is missing—and her dad had something to do with it. Each day that passes, Sara’s more on edge. Her friends know that something’s wrong, but she won’t endanger anyone else with her secret. And with her dad growing increasingly violent, Sara must figure out what happened to her mom before it’s too late…for them both.
Tracy Bilen is a high school French and Spanish teacher in Michigan where she lives with her husband and two children. Before moving to Michigan, Tracy taught at a ski school for high school students in Vermont (Spanish, not skiing!). In college she spent her junior year abroad at the Sorbonne in Paris where she lived in a dorm run by nuns (and where she had to run down four flights of stairs to take a phone call). She enjoys cross-country skiing and walks in the woods. Her debut young adult novel, What She Left Behind, will be released by Simon Pulse on May 1, 2012.Tracy Bilen is a high school French and Spanish teacher in Michigan where she lives with her husband and two children. Before moving to Michigan, Tracy taught at a ski school for high school students in Vermont (Spanish, not skiing!). In college she spent her junior year abroad at the Sorbonne in Paris where she lived in a dorm run by nuns (and where she had to run down four flights of stairs to take a phone call). She enjoys cross-country skiing and walks in the woods. Her debut young adult novel, What She Left Behind, will be released by Simon Pulse on May 1, 2012.
Kimberly Sabatini’s Review of WHAT SHE LEFT BEHIND
If you like Elizabeth Scott, I think you’ll absolutely adore Tracy Bilen. WHAT SHE LEFT BEHIND is one of those stories that is morbidly beautiful. It is the harsh reality of a less than ideal life, threaded with moments of love and hope. I couldn’t pull my eyes away from what was unfolding on the pages. I immediately connected with Sara and I adored the healthy relationships in her life. I read this story with a rapid pulse and sweaty palms–praying that the last page would be just as good as the build-up. I wasn’t disappointed.
Oh, and bonus–both books will be shipped to you directly from the authors so you’ll get to have them signed!! What do you have to do to enter this giveaway? Tell me what piece of reality you find scarier than fiction. Or you can tell me the creepiest thing that’s ever happened to you. Or you can just gush about how much you want both of these books. BE SURE TO INCLUDE YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION IN THE COMMENT SO THAT YOU CAN WIN!
Tags: Apocalypsies, Contest, Dispirited, giveaway, Kim Sabatini, Kimberly Sabatini, Luisa M. Perkins, Tracy Bilen, What She Left Behind, YA Author, YA Novel, YA Writer
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My recap of BEA 2012 in pictures!!!!
Yeah…off to a pretty good start. *grin*
My awesome roommate, book blogger at THE YA CONNECTION and aspiring author…Lisa Lueddecke. Ummm so we just happened to go right by the Hershey’s store. And they had free samples.
The Class of 2k12 Books at the Bank Street Bookstore where we talked about breaking into the business of children’s and young adult fiction.
We got our swag on!
Bank Street Bookstore provided yummy snacks and beverages.
The whole gang from L-R
Kimberly Sabatini (Touching the Surface available October 30th), Sarvenaz Tash (The Mapmaker and the Ghost), A.C. Gaughen (Scarlet), Sarah Tregay (Love & Leftovers) and Lynda Mullaly Hunt (One for the Murphys)
Someone asked me why I had such a little book…of course my answer was that I write for little people LOL!
We had so much fun with this bunch!!!
Of course a little ice cream from the “Seinfeld Dinner” never is a bad ending to a great day. Lisa and Kim.
Look what was waiting in our room from the W Hotel!!! I felt so special…((((hugs)))) to A.C. Gaughen.
Tuesday morning…the view from our room.
Lisa needs an official Times Square picture!!!!
Meeting Suzanne Lazear (Innocent Darkness) for a quick breakfast.
The registration area of BEA.
The Editors for the YA Editors Buzz Panel. Everything sounded fantastic. You can read all about it at Publisher’s Weekly-BEA 2012: Diversity Rules at YA Editor’s Buzz Panel. But I want to give a special shout out to my fellow Apocalypsies: Gennifer Albin, author of Crewel and Kat Zhang, author of What’s Left of Me!!!!
I got to spend the WHOLE day with one of my favorite people EVAH!!!! My fantabulous agent Michelle Wolfson. *Heart Squish* And a shout out to Jennifer Laughran for taking a kick-ass picture of us. *grin*
Can you spot all the fabulous Sourcebook authors I found? SEND by Patty Blout, My YAOTL buddy Geoff Herback with STUPID FAST and NOTHING SPECIAL, and some of the Apocalypsies like…Miranda Kenneally with CATCHING JORDAN and STEALING PARKER, Zoraida Cordova with THE VICIOUS DEEP and Leanna Renee Hieber with DARKER STILL and THE TWISTED TRAGEDY OF MISS NATALIE STEWART. Plus a ton of other great reads!!!
Time to meet more of the Apocalypsies!!!!! We had an amazing Meet & Greet. Everyone was given a dance card to get signed by all the Apocalypsie authors in attendance. Here’s what they looked like. Each card was numbered and prize packages of books, ARCs and swag were auctioned off through out the afternoon.
So excited–I got to meet Erica Haglund of The Book Cellar and Julie Cross’ Perfect Ten.
I also got a chance to meet Natalia from Dazzling Reads. Love her!
It’s a small world! Barbra Kane (High School Librarian and Media Specialist in Jamestown, NY) and I graduated from the same college. Go Geneseo!!!
And don’t forget my buddy Grace from Words Like Silver. We saw each other everywhere…she may be tired of me LOL!
And here all the Apocalypsies who participated!!!!
After a hanging out with all the wonderful folks at Simon Pulse, I headed over to the NYC Teen Author Carnival.where I found lots of Simon Pulse authors and Apocalypsies and sometimes they were both, like K.M Walton (CRACKED) and Corrine Jackson (IF I LIE.)
Hilary Graham (REUNITED)
Lucas Klauss (EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW TO SURVIVE THE APOCALYPSE)
Fiona Paul (VENOM) and Lauren Morrill (MEANT TO BE)
Rebecca Serle (WHEN YOU WERE MINE)
Gennifer Albin (REWEL), Tiffany Schmidt (SEND ME A SIGN) and Katie McGarry (PUSHING THE LIMITS) There was a ton of other great authors here but I have yet to learn how to clone myself…the dystopian writers are working on that for me though.
Of course we were REALLY hungry after all that book talk so K.M. Walton, Lynda Mullaly Hunt, Me and Corrine Jackson got some yummy stuff.
Are you getting tired yet? You should have seen me by the time I crawled into bed that night, but no rest for the weary because I was off on Wednesday morning to the YA Author’s Breakfast!!!!
Chris Colfer from Glee was the MC for the event. He was wonderfully funny and very touching as he talked about his own goal, from the age of 10 to have his book published.
In my opinion he seemed very genuine.
Chris Colfer, John Green (the Justin Bieber of the YA world *snort*), Lois Lowry and Kadir Nelson–Each one of these three legends was amazing. Lois Lowry received a standing ovation that was well deserved. You can watch the a live stream replay of the breakfast here…Live Stream Book Expo America
Yeah…I got this close. *sigh*
Back on the main floor I got Tom Angleberger’s autograph for my boys…they were thrilled!
Heading over to my favorite place…Simon & Schuster!!!!
And look who I found on the way…Tim Gunn. He is Fabulous!
Simon & Schuster was crazy busy!!!! I think I can see someone grabbing one of my bookmarks LOL!
I am an awesome mom! Was in line for almost 2 hours to get my oldest son a signed copy of INSURGENT by Veronica Roth! (Lisa, Kim and Jennifer)
And when you make friends on line…you might just get dubbed the Fabulous Five by the line monitors LOL! Don’t forget to check out Terri’s blog Read & Riot. And a Happy Birthday to Terri’s mom, Irene–she’ll be celebrating on Saturday with my brand new 7 year old. Cha, Cha, Cha Irene!!!
The front of the line for the DARK DAYS TOUR had been sitting w-a-y u-p t-h-e-r-e since 10 am so I won’t complain LOL!
Apocalypsie Elizabeth Norris signing UNRAVELING, Veronica Roth signing INSURGENT, Bethany Griffin signing MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH and Aprilynne Pike signing DESTINED.
Flew by Rachel Ray
And a very TALL Harlem Globetrotter LOL!
I also wanted to hit some of the Apocalypsies at their author signings. I missed a ton, but was luck to get a book from…
Sorry it’s blurry–Dan Krokos signing Lisa’s copy of FALSE MEMORY.
And TIME BETWEEN US author and sweetheart, Tamara Ireland Stone
My last Class of 2k12 event was Mix, Mingle and Win! So I mixed and mingled with two of my new favorite people Kim an Judy…making me the winner.
The Class of 2k12 Sarah Tregay, A.C. Gaughen, Megan Bostic, Lynda Mullaly Hunt, Sarvenaz Tash and me.
One of my favorite BEA pics! A.C. Gaughen and her new FIGHT LIKE A GIRL T-shirts for a GLOW fundraiser. Great cause–I am so getting one! If you’re interested in buying one and supporting GLOW–leave your contact info in the comments and I’ll make sure that A. C. gets it.
And what you’ve all been waiting for…the books!
Not including all the MG books I got for the boys…here was my amazing YA haul. Keep tabs on my blog because a lot of these will be up for grabs after I read them!!!! Contests galore, but I can assure you that you will not be getting my 11yo’s signed copy of INSURGENT or my signed ARC of Lois Lowry’s book SON. <3 But that means my question must be…which book would you be desperate for me to have as a prize in a contest???? *FYI DAYS OF BLOOD AND STARLIGHT is only a sample–not the full ARC, but it comes with the full paperback of DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE. Also–if you’ve blogged about your BEA experience–add your link so I can check it out. I had a fabulous time and I hope you did too. And if you couldn’t be there, I hope this helped you feel like you were. Thanks for stopping by.
Tags: Apocalypsies, Bank Street Book Store, BEA, Book Expo America, Dazzling Reads, GLOW, Javits Center, John Green, Kim Sabatini, Kimberly Sabatini, Lois Lowry, Michelle Wolfson, NYC, NYC Teen Author Carnival, Publisher's Weekly, Read & Riot, Simon & Schuster, Simon Pulse, The Book Cellar, The Class of 2k12, The W Times Square, Wolfson Literary, Words Like Silver
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Yesterday kicked off SUPER SWAG SUNDAY!! Fellow Apocalypsie, Laurisa White Reyes, debut author of THE ROCK OF IVANORE: Book One of the Celestine Chronicles is hosting SUPER SWAG SUNDAY on her blog–A Thousand Wrongs. And guess what? I’m one of thirty-one authors participating…
SUPER SWAG SUNDAY PARTICIPANTS:
The Rock of Ivanore – Laurisa White Reyes
Boy + Bot by Ame Dyckman
Send Me A Sign by Tiffany Schmidt
Claws by Mike & Rachel Grinti
Blind Spot by Laura Ellen
Emily’s Dress & Other Missing Things by Kathryn Burak
Starters by Lissa Price
Fingerprints of You by Kristen-Page Madonia
Touching the Surface by Kimberly Sabatini
Shadow & Bone by Leigh Bardugo
Seeing Cinderella by Jenny Lundquist
Velveteen by Daniel Marks
Cracked by K.M.Walton
The Prisoner of the Shadows (Heroes of the Highest Order) by R.K. Hinrichsen
The Downside of Charlie by Jenny Torres Sanchez
Small Medium At Large by Joanne Levy
Ten by Gretchen McNeil
The Dark Light by Sara Walsh
Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris
The Wicked & the Just by J. Anderson Coats
The Marble Queen by Stephanie J. Blake
Fishtale by Hans Bauer & Catherine Masciola
Possess by Gretchen McNeil
Fair Coin by E.C. Myers
The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls by Claire LeGrand
Auracle by Gina Rosati
Time Between Us Tamara Ireland Stone
Chained by Lynn Kelly
You Can’t Have My Planet by James Mihaley
Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood
The Secret Sisters Club by Monique Bucheger
Here’s how it works…
SUPER SWAG SUNDAY is a celebration of the best in new kids and teens
literature. What is swag? Swag is all the fun stuff authors giveaway
to promote their books and I’ve got TONS OF IT!!!!
31 authors (many who are Apocalypsies) have donated everything you can
imagine for this event: signed bookmarks, postcards, tattoos,
stickers, pins, magnets, pens, frishbees, rubber bugs, origami, guitar
picks, fortune cookies, and more!
Every day for 7 days I will spotlight 4 or 5 new titles from the most
amazing up and coming children’s and teen authors. Then, next Sunday,
June 10th seven (7) giveaway winners will be announced. Each winner
will receive a MEGA SWAG PACK containing swag from every spotlighted
author!
You can enter the giveaway just once or every day for more chances to
win! This is great way to kick off your child or teen’s summer
reading! Come on by first thing tomorrow morning and join in the fun!
http://1000wrongs.blogspot.com
Here are some of the goodie you can win…
What are you waiting for? Oh, right–I always ask you a question. What is your most prized piece of book swag you’ve ever received?
Tags: A Thousand Wrongs, Apocalypsies, Contest, Contest. swag, Kim Sabatini, Kimberly Sabatini, Laurisa White Reyes, Super Swag Sunday, Swag, Touching the Surface
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Next week is Book Expo America (BEA) week in New York City which means that a plethora of publishing folks take a bite out of the Big Apple during a weeklong discussion and celebration of books, books and more books. Yeah, my kind of a get together. This is my first time going to BEA so I’m not sure exactly what to expect, but I know I’m really excited to hook up with my agent, Michelle Wolfson. Hang with out with my Editor Anica Rissi and meet a whole slew of people from Simon Pulse. I’m also so excited to meet more than a handful of members from the Class of 2k12 and the Apocalypsies for the first time. And of course I’m thrilled to spend more time with the ones I have met before. Last but not least,I’m really excited to meet some of the book bloggers that I follow online. Remember, first and foremost, I’m a reader and I depend on those wonderful reviews to figure out what goes to the top of my reading list.
No need to reinvent the wheel. The lovely Sarvenaz Tash, debut MG author of THE MAPMAKER AND THE GHOST, put together this amazing list of events that I’ll be participating in. Here are all the places I’ll be–so if you’re going to BEA, or if you’re a blogger, teacher, librarian or a reader who wants to get out of the house, feel free to come to one or all of these events. I’d be super stoked to see you.
Monday, June 4, 2012
What: BEA Kick-Off Party/Breaking into KidLit Panel with the Class of 2K12
Where: Bank Street Bookstore
610 112th St., New York, NY
When: 7 PM
RSVP: Your invitation is here!
Info: Kick off BEA week with the Class of 2K12. We’re going to talk a bit about how we broke into the kidlit business before mingling in a fun party atmosphere.
Tuesday, June 5th
What: Meet the Apocalypsies at BEA
Where: Javits Center, Room 1E04
655 W. 34th St., New York, NY
When: 3-5 PM
Info: Come meet over 20 of this year’s debut MG and YA authors. There will be raffles, prizes and cookies! You do need a BEA pass to attend this event.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
What: Mix, Mingle and Win with the Class of 2K12
Where: Tenth Rail
413 10th Ave., New York, NY
When: 6 PM
RSVP: Your invitation is here!
Info: Our big BEA party complete with appetizers and awesome raffles where you can win books, swag and critiques!
*I won’t be there for the Thursday event because I don’t have a book yet, LOL!!!! Only 150 more days to wait!!!! But there is another Class of 2k12 event at Books of Wonder that sounds awesome. Wish I could be there.
Thursday, June 7, 2012
18 W. 18th St., New York, NY
When: 6-8 PM
RSVP: Your invitation is
here!
Info: Come meet some of 2012’s debut kidlit authors (including me) and get your books signed!
And here are the official flyers for the events…
I also have a really cool post card to show you from the Apocalypsies, but due to a Level 2 cover reveal today, I’ll be sharing that one with you at a later time. Hope to see you at BEA. Before you go…have you been to BEA before? Any tips for me? Any questions about the event? I might be able to answer them. Hope to go some day?
Tags: Apocalypsies, BEA, Kim Sabatini, Kimberly Sabatini, Simon and Schuster, Simon Pulse, The Class of 2k12
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I’m going to come right out and admit this…Lynda Mullaly Hunt is a soulmate. From the moment I met her, I knew that we had an incredible bond. And I’m struggling to try to capture the depth of my emotion for her and her debut novel ONE FOR THE MURPHYS. I want to share what’s in my heart, but I can’t–I’m not that good of a writer. So you’re just going to have to trust me on this one. You are getting a glimpse of one of the new heroes in the world of children’s literature…
A moving debut novel about a foster child learning to open her heart to a family’s love
Carley uses humor and street smarts to keep her emotional walls high and thick. But the day she becomes a foster child, and moves in with the Murphys, she’s blindsided. This loving, bustling family shows Carley the stable family life she never thought existed, and she feels like an alien in their cookie-cutter-perfect household. Despite her resistance, the Murphys eventually show her what it feels like to belong–until her mother wants her back and Carley has to decide where and how to live. She’s not really a Murphy, but the gifts they’ve given her have opened up a new future.
You can order ONE FOR THE MURPHYS here…
*Barnes & Noble
*Amazon
*IndieBound
*Additional on line book sellers
Kimberly’s review of ONE FOR THE MURPHYS…
Lynda Mullaly Hunt is a fellow Class of 2k12er and I had the luck to meet up with her during the 2012 NY SCBWI conference. After talking to Lynda about ONE FOR THE MURPHYS–I knew that I was going to love this book. It was obvious to me that Lynda wrote from a very emotional and honest place and I gravitate towards books that make me feel things deeply.
This book is beautiful.
I’ll start with the cover–which is perfect. Well done Nancy Paulsen Books–this couldn’t be better. But it’s what’s between the covers that grabs a hold of me and won’t let go. Oh, Carley–you make me both ashamed and proud to be an adult. You remind me that children put up walls to discover if the grown-ups are willing to scale them. You hammer home the truth–that we learn from our children if we take the time to listen to them. You remind me that adults must make the tough choices, the ones that are the best for the child, but that we can be kind and gentle in our tough love. You awaken my desire to be somebody’s hero and I want to hold you in my arms. Lynda hasn’t written a character–she has introduced me to someone I will love and think about forever.
And then there is Mrs. Murphy–who comforts me as much as she comforts Carley. Because even as an adult, I need to know that there are good people in this world who lead with their hearts. I need those role models in my life–she’s who I want to be when I “grow up.”
Each and every character in this book played a part in creating this wonderful read. I want to talk about every one of them, but I’m treading on spoiler ground if I don’t reign myself in. So I just want to say that it takes a village to “raise” a child and this community of characters, flawed and growing, rises to it’s own occasion. They never reach perfection, but that’s okay, because neither do I. This book is ONE FOR THE MURPHYS, but it’s also one for the Sabatini’s and it’s one for you…
Lynda Mullaly Hunt
I was born in the late sixties–the age of “flower children.” I must admit, though, that I ended up more as a “flour child” and a coffee lover. How did this happen?
Being the youngest of five children, I can fend for myself pretty well. I was a tom-boyish girl who loved skateboarding, climbing trees, playing baseball, and seeing everything there was to see on my bicycle. I must confess that one of those bicycles had a banana seat, was bright green, and had “Dill Pickle” written (complete with a picture!) on the chain guard; it was big enough to be read from a long distance away, too. Funny…I’d always wondered why no one ever tried to steal that bike…
After graduating from Conard High School in West Hartford, CT., I attended UConn and got two degrees in education. As a teacher, I really learned how much I loved writing for the fun of it. I mostly wrote stories that had structural errors so that I could give the kids red pens, tell them to give me an “F” if they wanted, but they better be able to explain why. Kids relished the opportunity to fail the teacher, so they dug deep. Oddly, it was a lot of fun.
When my daughter was born, I left teaching to be home with her. After her brother joined us and I realized that I was finding Sesame Street to be genuinely stimulating, I told my husband that I was joining a writers group at the local bookstore. I did and the rest is history! Well, maybe not quite yet… ;-
So, how about the writer’s journey? Did I want to be a writer since I could hold (and eat) a crayon?
You can learn more about Lynda Mullaly Hunt and ONE FOR THE MURPHYS here…
*Website
*Blog
*The Class of 2k12
*The Apocalypsies
*Twitter
*Facebook
I need to know…who is your hero?
Tags: Apocalypsies, Kim Sabatini, Kimberly Sabatini, Lynda Mullaly Hunt, Middle Grade, One for the Murphys, The Class of 2k12
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Thanks to the lovely and generous Daisy Whitney, author of THE MOCKING BIRDS and THE RIVALS, I was able to read an ARC of SOMETHING LIKE NORMAL by my fellow Apocalypsie–Trish Dollar. And because I *love* you, I’m going to have a contest and give someone else a chance to read it too. Before I explain how you can win this amazing book, let me tell you a little bit about the SOMETHING LIKE NORMAL, Trish and my response to her debut YA novel.
SOMETHING LIKE NORMAL by Trish Doller
When Travis returns home from a stint in Afghanistan, his parents are splitting up, his brother’s stolen his girlfriend and his car, and he’s haunted by nightmares of his best friend’s death. It’s not until Travis runs into Harper, a girl he’s had a rocky relationship with since middle school, that life actually starts looking up. And as he and Harper see more of each other, he begins to pick his way through the minefield of family problems and post-traumatic stress to the possibility of a life that might resemble normal again. Travis’s dry sense of humor, and incredible sense of honor, make him an irresistible and eminently lovable hero.
You can Pre-order SOMETHING LIKE NORMAL here…
*Barnes & Noble
*Amazon
*IndieBound
Kimberly’s Review of SOMETHING LIKE NORMAL…
It seems like every writer’s conference I attend, someone is always trying to pin down what is meant by that wonderful, but hard to define thing called VOICE. In my opinion, the best way to explain the magic of voice is to have a list of books that contain a distinct and powerful one. Trish Doller’s SOMETHING LIKE NORMAL would absolutely go on my “voice list.” I’m in awe of what she did here.
I’m not sure where to start, because this book has endless depth and layers, but what I do know is that it’s going to be one successful debut. Doller’s knowledge of the military, the amazing nuanced relationships between all the characters, the internal and external struggles, the friendships and the love–It’s all here and I adored every minute of it. There are certain books that I read, where I connect very deeply to the story and the characters because the author has stripped down to his or her vulnerable parts and risked a lot to put a kind of truth down on the page. This is one of those books and Trish Dollar is one of those authors. I am officially a fan-girl for life.
About Trish Doller…
I’ve been a writer as long as I’ve been able to write, but I didn’t make a conscious decision to “be” a writer until fairly recently. For that you should probably be thankful.
I was born in Germany, grew up in Ohio, went to college at Ohio State University, got married to someone really great, bounced from Maine to Michigan and back to Ohio for awhile. Now I live in Florida with my two mostly grown kids, two dogs, and a pirate. For real.
I’ve worked as a morning radio personality, a newspaper reporter, and spent all my summers in college working at an amusement park. There I gained valuable life skills, including counting money really fast, directing traffic, jumping off a moving train, and making cheese-on-a-stick. Also, I can still welcome you to Frontier Town. Ask me sometime.
These days I work as a bookseller at a Very Big Bookstore. And I write.
You can find out more about Trish Doller and SOMETHING LIKE NORMAL here…
*Website
*The Apocalypsies
*Blog
*Facebook
*Twitter
*Goodreads
Now that I’ve got your interest, I bet you’re wondering how to win this ARC. Easy-peasy! In the comments section, please tell me something about yourself that makes you feel less than normal. Don’t be shy, I’ve got a list of things as long as my right arm. Feel free to share them all or just tell me one. And remember… “like normal” is the new normal–so you’re in good company. Don’t forget to leave your contact information in your comment. You can’t win this amazing book if you I can’t reach you. And trust me, you want to win this book. Yup.
Tags: Apocalypsies, Book Review, Kim Sabatini, Kimberly Sabatini, Something Like Normal, Trish Doller, YA Author, YA Book, YA Novel, YA Writer
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I have a winner for my individual contest from the YAmazing Race! The lovely Jamie Strain has won a pre-order of TOUCHING THE SURFACE and a bunch of swag!!!! Congrats Jamie. <3
Here are the other winners of the YAmazing Race Prize Packages…
The Giant Space Squid Prize Pack (Gina Damico, Marissa Burt, Elissa J. Hoole, Marissa Meyer, Jenny Lundquist, Kimberly Sabatini, Shelley Coriell, A.G. Howard, Suzanne Lazear, Katie McGarry)
Goes to….Carina Olsen
The Flying Grizzly Bears Prize Pack (Kathleen Peacock, Sarvenaz Tash, J. Anderson Coats, Kat Zhang, Talia Vance, Sara Walsh, Laura Ellen, Erin Jade Lange, Laurisa White Reyes, Elisa Ludwig)
Goes to…Amber Robinson
The Land Sharks Prize Pack (Lauren Morrill, Lizzie K. Foley. Chanelle Gray, Tamara Ireland Stone, Jay Kristoff, Corrine Jackson, Joanne Levy, Anne Greenwood Brown, Elizabeth Norris, Diana Renn)
Goes to…Gabrielle Carolina
The Killer Penguins Prize Pack (AC Gaughen, Shannon Messenger, Tracy Bilen, Susanne Winnacker, E. M. Kokie, Zoraida Cordova, Colleen Clayton, Claire Legrand, Jessica Spotswood, E.C. Myers)Goes to…Petra Ippendorf
The Exploding Flamingos Prize Pack (Heather Anastasiu, Lissa Price, Lisa Jenn Bigelow, Jill Hathaway, Catherine Knutsson, Jessica Souders, Tiffany Schmidt, Ellie Rollins, Elizabeth Richards)
Goes to…Amanda Galliton
The Laser-Eyed Iguanas Prize Pack (Hilary Weisman Graham, Anne Nesbet, Tom Ryan, Dan Haring, Fiona Paul, McCormick Templeman, Megan Miranda, Gina Rosati, Lynda Mullaly Hunt)
Goes too…Jessica Silverstein
Tags: Apocalypsies, Contest, Kim Sabatini, Kimberly Sabatini, Pre-orders, Prize Packs, Swag, Touching the Surface, YAmazing Race
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It’s time for the 2nd YAmazing Race with MGnificent prizes!!!!
The YAmazing Race is a crazy, whirlwind, Apocalypsie blog hop featuring over 50 debut authors and prize packs featuring ARCs, Pre-orders, gift certificates, swag, and more! If you haven’t yet been to the Apocalypsies website, please click HERE to start from the beginning and read the complete rules. (FYI–There have been a couple small changes since the first race to make the race even easier to run. Yay!!!) Although my post is up and ready to go, REMEMBER THAT THE RACE DOESN’T OFFICIALLY BEGIN UNTIL WEDNESDAY 5/2 at NOON-EST!
Now on to the race! (Read carefully, your clue is in the synopsis.)
TOUCHING THE SURFACE By: Kimberly Sabatini
October 30, 2012
Simon Pulse – Simon and Schuster
Life altering mistakes are meant to alter lives…
When Elliot dies for the third time, she knows this is her last shot. There are no fourth-timers in this afterlife, so one more chance is all she has to get things right. But before she can move on to her next life, Elliot will be forced to face her past and delve into the painful memories she’d rather keep buried. Memories of people she’s hurt, people she’s betrayed…and people she’s killed.
As she pieces together the mistakes of her past, Elliot must earn the forgiveness of her best friend and reveal the truth about herself to the two boys she loves…even if it means losing them both forever.
Before I get to my “Road Block” *giggle* I thought I’d share my cover proof with you…
Okay–it’s time for your Road Block, but I won’t make it too hard because I know you’re on your way to the next Pitstop. If you decide to stop and play, you have the opportunity to win a Pre-order of TOUCHING THE SURFACE (Sorry I don’t have any ARCs–they locked them all away because they know I’d give them out in about 30 seconds LOL! All requests for ARCs must be placed through Simon Pulse.) Of course when I send the winner their pre-order confirmation information–I’ll be throwing in some swag. Don’t forget to make sure that your comment has a viable email contact included. (You can’t win if I can’t reach you.) And yes, this contest is open internationally.
So, your question is…
WHAT IS IT ABOUT TOUCHING THE SURFACE THAT INTRIGUES YOU THE MOST? It can be the cover, the synopsis, or even how the story line or characters relate to something in your own life. I’m just curious to know what makes you curious about my book.
Lastly, don’t forget to get your next clue…You’re off to see Shelley Coriell debut author of WELCOME CALLER, THIS IS CHLOE. What are you waiting for…GO!!!!!
Tags: Apocalypsies, Contest. swag, Kim Sabatini, Kimberly Sabatini, Pre-order, Swag, Touching the Surface, YAmazing Race
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I have another Class of 2k12 preview for you!!!! INNOCENT DARKNESS by Suzanne Lazear is a Steampunk Faerie Tale, but if you’re anything like me, you might not really know exactly what steampunk is. To help you out, I’ve grabbed Lazear’s explanation straight from her website to get us started.
What is Steampunk?
Steampunk. You hear the term more and more. But, what is exactly Steampunk, other
than an excuse for people to wear bustles and brass goggles?
I commonly describe Steampunk as “Jules Verne on Crack” – which I’m sure would
make my high school English teacher sigh in despair. Steampunk is imagining a world
where steam and natural gas, not coal and electricity, are still the primary power
sources, yet technology continues to advance. It’s a world abounding with airships,
gas lamps, gears, cogs, and brass goggles and populated with mad scientists,
philosophers, adventurers, brass robots, and air pirates.Steampunk stories can be set in the past, in the future, or on another planet. They
don’t even have to be Victorian. The Wild West is a very popular place for
Steampunk and I’ve even been hearing about Steampunk set in the Regency Era.
Steampunk transcends genres, creating genre-blending and bending at its finest.
Steampunk stories can be dark or light and funny, scary or romantic, for kids or
adults, they can even feature the supernatural or paranormal elements.
It’s in the setting, the gadgets, and the characters–who could speak like Victorian
ladies or fast-talking American teenagers. Steampunk characters often desire to make
the world a better place in some way shape or form–even if it’s by blowing up
parliament. Their adventures are often about figuring out where they fit even if it’s
means bucking the system.
With Steampunk, anything is possible. Steampunk offers an opportunity to be creative
and make amazing worlds ranging from gritty to opulent.
But Steampunk doesn’t stop at writing. Steampunk can be found in comics and
movies (League of Extraordinary Gentleman, anyone?) music (Emilie Autumn is my
favorites), clothes (if you haven’t seen the boots at Clockwork Couture, you should),
and jewelry (I am partial to tiaras made of clockhands). There are entire Steampunk
online communities dedicated to making rayguns, writing Steampunk, and Steampunk
in general.
So, now that you know all about Steampunk are you ready to write?
~Suzanne Lazear
INNOCENT DARKNESS
Flux
8-8-12
ISBN-10: 0738732486
ISBN-13: 978-0738732480
Wish. Love. Desire. Live.
Sixteen-year-old Noli Braddock’s hoyden ways land her in an abusive reform school far from home. On mid-summer’s eve she wishes to be anyplace but that dreadful school. A mysterious man from the Realm of Faerie rescues her and brings her to the Otherworld, only to reveal that she must be sacrificed, otherwise, the entire Otherworld civilization will perish.
INNOCENT DARKNESS is available for Pre-order here…
*Amazon
*Barnes & Noble
*Indie Bound
*The Book Depository
KIMBERLY SABATINI’S REVIEW
Recently I went to a writer’s conference where everyone was debating what the “next big thing” in YA literature was going to be. Some people argued that contemporary is on the rise and it was also suggested that steampunk has yet to see it’s day. But what everyone seemed to think was the most probable was a mash-up of some of our perennial favorite genres–a blending of some of our best loved reads. The first thing that came to mind when I heard this was INNOCENT DARKNESS–a steampunk faerie tale. Now, I have to admit that this was my first foray into steampunk and I found it to be very interesting, but what I loved the most was how creative Lazear got with this story. It was very clear that she has her finger on the pulse of this new type hybrid. It is also obvious that INNOCENT DARKNESS is a mix of topics that Lazear really loves and feels passionately about. Steampunk meets the fae is just fun. I can’t wait for the next installment to see what happens. Oh–and Dollymop is my new favorite word!
Suzanne Lazear’s young adult steampunk dark fairytale, INNOCENT DARKNESS, book 1 of The Aether Chronicles, will be released from Flux in August of 2012. Suzanne lives in Southern California with her daughter, the hubby, and a hermit crab, where she’s currently attempting to make a raygun to match her ballgown. She’s also part of the Steampunk group blog Steamed.
You can find out more about Suzanne Lazear and INNOCENT DARKNESS here…
*Website
*Twitter
*Goodreads
*Facebook–the Aether Chronicles
*Facebook–Suzanne Lazear
*Tumblr–Runs with Bustles
*Class of 2k12
*Apocalypsies
So, are you familiar with Steampunk? What’s your favorite steampunk book, movie, related site?
Tags: Apocalypsies, Book Review, Innocent Darkness, Kim Sabatini, Kimberly Sabatini, Suzanne Lazear, The Class of 2k12
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