Posts Tagged ‘Simon and Schuster’
Time for my June Bookanistas Review!
OUT OF REACH by Carrie Arcos. Carrie is a fellow Apocalypsie and a Simon Pulse sister, only adding to my love of this National Book Award Finalist.
How do you find someone who doesn’t want to be found? A girl searches for her missing addict brother while confronting her own secrets in this darkly lyrical novel.
Rachel has always idolized her older brother Micah. He struggles with addiction, but she tells herself that he’s in control. And she almost believes it. Until the night that Micah doesn’t come home.
Rachel’s terrified—and she can’t help but feel responsible. She should have listened when Micah tried to confide in her. And she only feels more guilt when she receives an anonymous note telling her that Micah is nearby and in danger.
With nothing more to go on than hope and a slim lead, Rachel and Micah’s best friend, Tyler, begin the search. Along the way, Rachel will be forced to confront her own dark secrets, her growing attraction to Tyler…and the possibility that Micah may never come home.
Kimberly’s Review of OUT OF REACH:
OUT OF REACH is a story about substance abuse and it’s effect on a family, particularly a brother and a sister, but I believe it’s message is much broader. It reminds us that no matter how much we want to, we can’t change other people. We can only change ourselves.
One of the things I found fascinating about Carrie Arco’s writing was how quiet the revelations were in a book with such strong topics. There were some very serious moments, but they were brilliantly contrasted by the slow dawn of personal revelations and the sweet weaving of new relationships. Love against loss.And hope–always hope.
About the Author
Carrie Arcos is a National Book Award Finalist for Young People’s Literature for OUT OF REACH, her debut YA novel.
She lives in Los Angeles with her family. She is currently at work on another book, available summer 2014. You can find more about her at
carriearcos.com
Love the Bookanistas Reviews? Here’s some more for this week…
Shari Arnold marvels at THE MOON AND MORE by Saran Dessen
Tracy Banghart is thrilled by 3:59 by Gretchen McNeil
Christine Fonseca shivers over SHATTER ME by Tahereh Mafi
Carrie Harris and Elana Johnson reveal the cover of SALLY SLICK & THE STEEL SYNDICATE by Carrie Harris
Corrine Jackson is nuts for AU REVOIR, CRAZY EUROPEAN CHICK by Joe Schreiber
Jessica Love joins the BY BLOOD by Tracy Banghart book blitz – with giveaway
Shannon Messenger raves about JELLICOE ROAD by Melina Marchetta
Tracey Neithercott adores THE ARCHIVED by Victoria Schwab
Katy Upperman gushes over THE GIRL GUIDE by Christine Fonseca
Have you read any of the books reviewed by the Bookanistas this week? Any thoughts? Have you read any other books that have handled the topic of substance abuse and addiction really well?
Tags: addiction, Book Review, Booksanistas, Carrie Arcos, drug use, Kim Sabatini, Kimberly Sabatini, Nation Book Award Finalist, Out of Reach, Simon and Schuster, Simon Pulse, substance abuse
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I know not everyone will agree with what I’m about to say, but I find marketing fascinating. I sort of think of it like playing a game of Angry Birds–it’s a challenge and I love to adjust my angles to see where I’m going to aim my efforts. Just like playing Angry Birds, marketing your book takes some skill, hard work, practice and luck. And if you do even some of it right, you have a chance to knock down some serious stuff–pigs AND the barriers that keep you from literary success.
As my book launch gets closer, I’ve been thinking about marketing a lot more and I’ve come to realize that I’ve developed my own marketing truths. Here are some of the things that currently resonate with me…
*Be genuine. It’s much better to make 10 real friends on line than to spam a hundred. I know what I’m willing to do to support the people in my life that I care about–most people feel the same way. Genuine time and effort can’t be faked.
*Pretend that you don’t have a publisher. My publisher is doing a zillion amazing things to help market and sell my book. Duh! It’s their book too, but it’s easier for me to pretend (from a marketing perspective) that I’m self-published. This way I push myself to do my best and whenever something unexpected and exciting happens, it’s a ginormous, wonderful bonus!!!
TOUCHING THE SURFACE at the Bologna Book Fair!!!! I had no idea my book was there until my editor sent me this picture. BONUS!
*Try to enjoy the type of marketing you do. I’ll be honest, when two openings came available to join the YA Rebels (a weekly vlogging collective) I thought about auditioning. It would have been a fabulous opportunity. I also realized it would likely cause my premature death. The expectation to create weekly vlogs, that were interesting and funny AND get the tech thing down would have applied enough pressure to squish my head like a melon. Stick to the stuff that doesn’t take years off of your life.
*JOIN A MARKETING COLLECTIVE!!!! I am a proud member of the APOCALYPSIES and the CLASS OF 2k12 and I can say with absolute certainty that these two groups have been the best. They are so much more than a bunch of debut authors banding together–these are my friends. I could not have done it without them. I wouldn’t want to. We SQUEE over each other’s good news and we commiserate when we’re knee deep in suckage–personal or professional. We help each other be better writers–and marketers. And the best part is that they make me laugh. Have you seen this video?
So when you get that opportunity to join an amazing group like this… raise both hands, jump up and down and shout pick me, pick me!
*Lastly, you should have a secret weapon. Here’s mine…
This is my mom–aka my secret weapon. She carries a stack of signed bookmarks in her pocketbook and every place she goes, she tells people about my book. She also shares how proud she is of her daughter and she means it–I can see it in her eyes. THIS is the best kind of marketing. It is also the BEST way to live your life. It’s better than word of mouth–it’s word of heart. What we all really want is for someone to love us, to love our writing and to want to tell the world about it.
PS–I’m a very lucky girl because I’m surrounded word of heart–in my home and in my life. There will never be enough ways to adequately say I love you back.
Who is your secret weapon? Who shares their love of you through word of heart? I know just thinking about them makes you warm and fuzzy right now–so ‘fess up.
Tags: Angry Birds, Apocalypsies, Bologna Book Fair, Class of 2k12, Kim Sabatini, Kimberly Sabatini, Marketing, Simon and Schuster, Simon Pulse, Touching the Surface, Word of mouth
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So…funny story. Several years I ago I sat next to K.M. Walton at the NY SCBWI Writer’s Intensive. It was my second table of the day and we were right next to each other–unpublished, eager, sponges–looking for a way to get noticed or take our writing to the next level. We each read our page and a half of text and got our critiques. After the event was over, we stayed at the table to talk for a couple of minutes, admiring each other’s writing.
Fast forward to 2011 when I sold TOUCHING THE SURFACE to Simon Pulse, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. Who do I discover is also a brand new, soon to be debut author with me? You guessed it (but in all honesty I made it easy) it was K. M. Walton. Both of our manuscripts from the Intensives were going to be published to the same imprint LOL!
That wonderful manuscript that I got a sneak peek at that day sooooo long ago has turned into the YA novel CRACKED.
CRACKED by K.M. Walton
Victor hates his life. He’s relentlessly bullied at school and his parents ridicule him for not being perfect. He’s tired of being weak, so he takes a bottle of his mother’s sleeping pills — only to wake up in the hospital.
Bull is angry, and takes all of his rage out on Victor. He’s the opposite of weak. And he’s tired of his grandfather’s drunken beatings, so he tries to defend himself with a loaded gun.
When Victor and Bull end up as roommates in the same psych ward, things go from bad to worse. Until they discover they just might have something in common: a reason to live.
You can purchase a copy of CRACKED here…
*Barnes & Noble
*Amazon
*IndieBound
Kimberly Sabatini’s Review of CRACKED…
It’s a simple as that.
Bullying is a pervasive issue in our society today and more people need to be reading a book like this. Why? What makes this one special? I have a few reasons why I think this is a stand out. But first, I’ll be honest with you… K. M. Walton is a friend, an Apocalypsie and a fellow author at Simon Pulse. I sort of wish this wasn’t true because there will be many people that assume that my respect and love for CRACKED is influenced by those connections. I’d like to take a moment to convince you why this isn’t true.
In the past I’ve been a special education teacher that specialized in children with emotional and behavioral issues. My father was a counselor in a maximum security prison. The first year I taught I can remember coming home and asking my dad…”Where is the line?” He looked at me funny, wanting to know what line I was talking about. Then I explained that the children I worked with were obviously victims. Their issues were clearly connected to the things that had happened to them in their lives. But what I wanted to know was if they couldn’t be helped, what day would they stop being victims and what day would they start to be bullies, offenders, abusers, prisoners? Suddenly everything was a blur to me. When might these children go from being someone I loved and wanted to help to being someone who might turn around to someone else and do the same things that were done to them? This thought and these children have weighed heavy on my heart all my life.
K.M. Walton doesn’t give me the ultimate answer to this bigger than life problem, but she throws ropes to her readers–giving them something to hold on to. More important, she raises question and she does it will great skill. I don’t think any one book or one person can give us the answers to such a large hole in humanity, but this is the kind of book that asks us to dig deeper as readers. It is a book that crakes creates sparks–the hope of illumination. It renews the fire within me to make the world a better, safer place–to stand up and have a voice. It helps me to put the people around me into perspective, so I can better navigate those who hurt. Because bullying doesn’t happen to just children. It reminds me that the world is not black and white–but grey–full of shades of truth that blur the lines between right and wrong, good and bad and ultimately life or death.
I highly recommend CRACKED by K.M. Walton and if you’re moved by the writing of John Green, Laurie Halse Anderson and K.L. Going, then I think you have a new hero to add to your bookshelves. If you read CRACKED I would love to hear what you thought. <3
K.M. Walton is the oldest of four girls and her three younger sisters are her best friends. Gag, right? But she’s serious. She openly challenges you to challenge her sisters’ awesomeness because there’s no way you’d win.
Moving on.
She has a mom, who is her other best friend. More gagging. Again, she says there isn’t a better (or cooler, or smarter, or more beautiful – inside and out) mom on this entire planet. K. M. apologizes to anyone reading this that thinks their mother is the best mother on the planet – she says it’s not possible for two women to hold the title, and her mom wins. So there.
She had a dad, a really smart and gentle dad who loved her the best way he knew how, but he passed away from cancer when he was only 51. Ouch. K. M. wants anyone out there reading her bio to know one thing: Love the people you love while you have them here – even when it’s hard to love them – because when they’re gone all you have left are memories. And you can’t hug a memory.
She’s also got this totally hot and totally cool husband that is, in every sense of the idea, her better half. She met him when she was 19; he was her next door neighbor in the dorm. Her stomach got all squishy when she first laid eyes on him and she announced to all of her girlfriends, in a rather dramatic fashion, “No one else can like Todd from down the hall because I like him, and I’m making him my boyfriend this semester.” Her friends all abided by her request. And she did make him her boyfriend; they’ve been together ever since. For the record, just so everyone knows, she’s still in love with him and it’s been 24 years since the day they met. Awesome, eh?
She has two sons who, you guessed it, are the best two kids in the world. Yep, another challenge. They are thoughtful and kind, genuine and funny, brilliant and creative, and she swears she couldn’t be more proud of how they are turning out.
K. M. had a dream when she was a little girl. Actually she had a gazillion dreams and she spent a large amount of her childhood dreaming. Her one dream was to be a teacher. Her three sisters – the same awesome chicks from the first paragraph – played her “students” in the basement while she played teacher. And they still like her even after that. Teaching became a reality for K. M. and she taught for twelve glorious and spectacular years – some of it in Osteen, Florida and most of it in Springfield, Pennsylvania (Hi, Osteen Elementary and ETR Middle School!!).
Writing, it turns out, is K. M. Walton’s favorite thing to do in the whole world. Even the hard parts – and there are a lot of hard parts. She is very, very thankful that she is where she is on her journey as a writer. And she can’t wait to see where the road leads her…
And if you love CRACKED, like anticipate you will. Watch for EMPTY expected out on January 1, 2013…
Dell is relentlessly teased about her weight, and she’s devastated when a tender moment with her long-time crush turns violent. Distraught and isolated after the attack, Dell’s depression—and life—spins out of control.
Finding that food no longer eases her pain, Dell turns to her mother’s prescription pain pills. But what starts as a quick fix rapidly escalates. How far will Dell go to make the loneliness, the self-loathing, the heartbreak, the shame, and the name-calling stop?
You can find out more about K.M. Walton and CRACKED and EMPTY here…
Today my fellow authors at teamTEENauthor are also talking about bullying. Here is a list of their blogs if you’d like to stop by and check them out…
Have you read CRACKED? Any other great books on bullying that you loved and think are important? Have you been bullied? How did you handle it? Are you being bullied and need help?
Tags: Apocalypsies, Bullying, Cracked, E.C. Myers, Elizabeth Amisu, Empty, Janci Patterson, Jessica Corra, Julie Cross, K.M. Walton, Kim Sabatini, Kimberly Sabatini, Pip Harry, Simon and Schuster, Simon Pulse, Suzanne Lazear, teamTEENauthor
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Today I’d like to give you a sneak peak into the not-so-glamourous side of a soon to be published, debut author. I know that some days it seems like it’s all “cover reveals” and “fabulous blurbs” but there are tons of little things in the publishing world that are the equivalent of doing those endless loads of laundry or scrubbing the toilet. Right now I’m pretty obsessed with sending postcards out to as many Independent Booksellers as I possibly can. It is lots of fun seeing all the cool names for the Indie Bookstores. It makes me want to go visit each and every one of them, but that’s impossible so the best I can do is reach out to them and hope that they like TOUCHING THE SURFACE and that they can see my enthusiasm for trying to help this book be a success.
The first thing you need to do when sending out postcards…is to get postcards. I had mine made by the very talented Jeff Fielder. After that it’s time to compile the list of bookstores you want to contact. I was very fortunate to win a pre-compiled list from Saundra Mitchell in a charity auction. I thank my lucky stars EVERY NIGHT! Even with everything already researched, it took me over two hours just to attach the pre-printed labels. *head thunk* We are talking about 760 bookstores here. *head thunk again*
Once your labels are on, you need to HANDWRITE a message on EACH postcard. Let the hand cramps commence. The most I’ve been able to do in one sitting is around the fifty card mark. But I also think it’s worth it. I want those booksellers to know how hard I’m willing to work and how important personal connections are to me. Every time I get a little free time I jot off a couple cards or if I’m lucky, sometimes I have an hour or two where I go for it and write as many as I can. I’ve sent out over three hundred cards so far YAY!!!!
But unfortunately, I’ve got this many left to go…
Yeah…that’s like 400+ postcards left to go. And don’t forget that some labels get cut off accidentally so I have those in a pile to fix when I’m done. And the hardest part of all…when they come back RETURN TO SENDER. Those go in another pile to see if I can find the bookstore on line and resend. So far out of the 300+ I’ve sent–I’ve gotten back 28 but I expect a few more soon because I just recently sent out my last batch.
And don’t forget the stamps. Postcard stamps are cheaper than regular stamps but every 100 stamps costs $32.
And of course–the truly hard part is not really knowing if the all the effort is worth it. I’m hoping it is, but for all I know, all my hard work could end up being a coaster under someone’s drink. But then again…they’re book lovers!!!! Besides, I’ve got to believe that a purple Sharpie pen is a magic wand in disguise.
What do you think is the most un-glamourous side of being a writer? Any fabulous tips to share about the not-so-glamourous tasks a writer must tackle? Do you like doing something that you think most people hate? Any questions on postcards or preparing for a book launch? I’ll do my best to answer them.
But for now, off to write more postcards…
Tags: Jeff Allen Fielder, Kimberly Sabatini, KimSabatini, Marketing, Postcards, Simon and Schuster, Simon Pulse, 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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My friend Ida is hating me right now. She’s a heavy duty book lover and a writer. This is the Facebook post I received from her after posting all of the Class of 2k12 and Apocalypsies Tuesday Book Birthdays…
Kim… I don’t know how to say this… but I don’t know if I can be your friend anymore… it’s just… all the books you post about… I can’t take it anymore Kim… my reading list is starting to cause me anxiety attacks… I don’t leave the house… I pretend those kids that keep calling me mommy are just visitors… I’ve started to ignore my personal hygiene…it’s turning into a real problem… sigh
Ida, I love you and I’m very sorry to do this to you…
IF I LIE by Corrine Jackson–Coming August 28, 2012
A powerful debut novel about the gray space between truth and perception.
Quinn’s done the unthinkable: she kissed a guy who is not Carey, her boyfriend. And she got caught. Being branded a cheater would be bad enough, but Quinn is deemed a traitor, and shunned by all of her friends. Because Carey’s not just any guy—he’s serving in Afghanistan and revered by everyone in their small, military town.
Quinn could clear her name, but that would mean revealing secrets that she’s vowed to keep—secrets that aren’t hers to share. And when Carey goes MIA, Quinn must decide how far she’ll go to protect her boyfriend…and her promise.
If I Lie is available for Pre-order here…
*Barnes & Noble
*Amazon
*IndieBound
*Additional Book Sellers
Kimberly Sabatini’s Review of IF I LIE:
When I was in high school, I became fascinated with POW’s from Vietnam. I was haunted by the idea that these guys had never come home. Who were they? Where were they? And what had they left behind? I “adopted” a missing soldier and wore my MIA bracelet until it wore out and broke in half.
When I was in college, I was a girlfriend of a guy who was in the army. Then I married him–making me a military wife. I fell in love with this fierce, dedicated, kind, bigger-than-life community. And sometimes I hated being just another piece in a finely tuned machine–even it it was made up of some very wonderful people. Sometimes I felt a little lost. I didn’t always like who I was supposed to be and what was expected of me. I didn’t know it then, but I was a girl who had things to say–weird, slightly off center things to say–and not speaking them was a bit unhealthy. So, I related to Quinn–having lived that life with my own kind of secrets pushed down inside me.
I’m sharing this information with you because I want you to know, that in my opinion, Corrine Jackson got it right. As I read her words, it took me back…
I’m a huge fan of authors who create people with depth. I like to see the characters have faults AND triumphs. Not only did Jackson do this seamlessly, but she also accomplished this with her presentation of the military. I both loved and hated the institution and it’s affect on those involved in it–just like I did in real life. She didn’t use hero worship and she didn’t demonize either. She simply acknowledged that like all of us, it is made up of the good and the bad.
I was also grateful to see her humorous and touching relationship with an elderly veteran, George. I have always had a soft spot for the older generation. I think they are gifts that we often let pass us by. Jackson brought me to tears with her gentle reminder that it takes only one person to make a difference in someone else’s life.
IF I LIE is a well written, beautifully balanced, heart-wrenching book that is about so much more than a snapshot of people in a small military town. I hope it moves you as much as it did me.
Corrine Jackson (pronounced Cor-een) believes flip flops are appropriate footwear for any occasion, but concedes the need for boots since moving to damp and foggy San Francisco. She loves collecting degrees, including a BA and MA in English, and very soon, an MFA in Creative Writing. Aside from her longing to live in Anthropologie, she claims a seven-year career at a marketing agency and, before that, she graphically designed things. Her YA contemporary book, IF I LIE, will be published by Simon Pulse on August 28, 2012 and her YA paranormal romance, TOUCHED, will be published by KTeen in December 2012.
You can find out more about Corrine Jackson and IF I LIE here…
*Website
*Facebook
*Twitter
*Blog
*Goodreads
*The Bookanistas
*The YA Rebels
*The Class of 2k12
*The Apocalypsies
So, I’m wondering if you know anyone who is on active duty? Do you have a veteran in the family? Any thoughts for those who serve? I’d love to hear.
Tags: Apocalypsies, Book Review, Class of 2k12, Corrine Jackson, If I Lie, Kim Sabatini, Kimberly Sabatini, Simon and Schuster, Simon Pulse, The Class of 2k12
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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
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One of my favorite parts of the conference is Lin Oliver‘s stats and joke during the welcome.
I’ve come to look forward to them. So with out much ado…the 13th Annual New York Conference stats…
*1,148 people in attendance (a sold out show)
*301 were published authors and the remainder are pre-published because that’s how we role in the SCBWI
*392 were women, 56 were men and 700 were UNKNOWN. I met a few of the 700 and they were confused but very nice.
*There were 867 writers in the house and 485 illustrators
*19 different countries were in attendance, including Aruba and Jamaica. Yes, you are correct if you guessed that Lin was singing.
*We also had 49 out of 50 States in attendance but because South Dakota actually showed up this year, Lin was stumped as to who was dissing us.
You have to have the right kind of person to follow Lin Oliver and we were not disappointed.
9:00-10:00 KEYNOTE: TURNING REAL LIFE INTO FICTION – Chris Crutcher
Here are some of my best walk-aways…
*If you want to make life important…shorten it.
*The language of grief, the language of hard times–they need to be told in their native tongue.
*We tend to write for the censors instead of the people who are reading our books.
*The truth you know is the one that will get you published.
*Jesus had an older brother named Esus! Who knew? Chris’ older brother, that’s who. Bwahhhh!!!!
10:15-11:30 PANEL: CHILDREN’S BOOKS: TODAY AND TOMORROW” FOUR EXPERT IMPRESSIONS
Moderator: (LO) Lin Oliver
(RP) Ruben Pfeffer, Agent, East West Literary Agency
(BM) Barbara Markus, Strategic Innovations Advisor
(JF) Jean Feiwel, Senior Vice President and Publishing Director, Feiwel and Friends (MacMillan)
(NP) Nancy Paulsen, President and Publisher, Nancy Paulsen Books, (Penguin)
Question: Significant changes in publishing? (LO)
*(RP) Much more energized and commercial publishing going on.
*(BM) We have bestseller hardcover children’s books that sell better than adult books.
*(JF) The closing of Boarders the changes in Amazon, self-publishing etc…
*(NP) Social Media. Remember, you can use it to help support local bookstores.
Question: How do you characterize the market? (LO)
*(JF) In the last 10 years you could publish just about anything. The market has forced a correction–in order to be effective you need to know your core strengths.
*(RP) Because we publish fewer titles, we have to publish titles better.
***GUEST SPEAKER ALERT!!!!***
Yes!!!! It’s Henry Winkler!!!! *heart squish*
Henry is dyslexic and he was wonderfully funny and thoughtful in his speech but I simply can’t capture his talk effectively, but I would like to add this link to a recent interview he did about his dyslexia. Henry Winkler on The Doctors.
11:15-12:45 1ST PRE-ASSIGNED BREAKOUT SESSION—YOUNG ADULT FICTION with Tara Weikum, Executive Editor, Harper Collins
Tara gave a brief history of YA and some thoughts on it…
* The OUTSIDERS–wasn’t the first book for teens but it was the book that made people stand up and take notice.
*Printz Award launched in 2000
*YA is in a major state of flux. Editors ask themselves–What is different about this book from the others I have read? Do I LOVE this book?
*Teens want to read about what is important and relevant to them.
*Voice is different for every editor.
2:00-3:00 KEYNOTE: LOVE TRIANGLE AND FORBIDDEN LOVE–CREATING AND MAINTAINING ROMANTIC TENSION IN YA LITERATURE by Cassandra Clare
*Forbidden love
-By Family
-By Society
-Because it’s unsuitable or dangerous
*Love Triangles
-Epic love vs Indecision
*The kind of love story that is fun to live is not fun to read about.
3:15-4:15 2ND PRE-ASSIGNED BREAKOUT SESSION–REVISION with Cheryl Klein, Executive Editor, Arthur A. Levine Books (Scholastic)
*Revision=Re-visioning
*Revision requires courage and love–be kind to yourself.
*Take the truth and put it in a story that makes money. (the best of both worlds)
*It’s much more exciting to be in the action than talking about the action that is coming up.
*Write a synopsis from the enemy’s point of view–to show balance.
*SAID is transparent, it disappears–the other tags don’t.
*Keep a copy of everything
*Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good.
4:30-5:30 3RD PRE-ASIGNED BREAKOUT SESSION–THE NOVEL with Wendy Loggia, Executive Editor, Delacorte Press
*Take the familiar and raft a narrative that makes me see things in a new light
*If you have a clear sense of what you want to do–it shows in your writing.
*There has to be a consumer for your book.
*Keep your reader hooked.
*If something doesn’t feel natural to you–don’t write it.
*Be aware of trends, but if you’re writing to a trend it’s too late.
I also have to mention that Wendy gave a huge shout out to my fellow Apoclaypsie Lissa Price and her up-coming debut novel STARTERS. Of course I was *squeeing* like mad–out loud when she was talking about Lissa’s book!!! And it gets better…Wendy gave me the ARC she was reading from!!!!! I started it on the train and LOVE it!!!! Contest coming soon!!!! Thank you Wendy and Lissa!!!!!
And don’t think you can sit down now–it’s off to the Gala where they had *drum roll* a mashed potato bar with toppings!!! If I hadn’t died and gone to heaven, I would have taken a picture. But here are a couple shots from the night.
Kim and Greg Fishbone-Founder of the Class of 2k7
Kim and Lynda Hunt Mullaly–Class of 2k12
And of course, long after the Gala was over, I was still talking to old friends and making new ones in the lobby…
Hanging with my Simon Pulse peeps–Hannah Moskowitz, Kim and Michael Strother. <3
Yes, that is Chris Crutcher hanging out with us!!!!! Life is good.
I’ll be back on Monday with the final installment from the conference, but in the meantime, have a great weekend!
Tags: Apocalypsies, Cassandra Clare, Cheryl Klein, Chris Crutcher, Class of 2k12, Conferences, Greg Fishbone, Henry Winkler, Kim Sabatini, Kimberly Sabatini, Lin Oliver, Lissa Price, Lynda Hunt Mullaly, NY12SCBWI, SCBWI, Simon and Schuster, Simon Pulse, Starters, Touching the Surface
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I am so excited to be a part of this!!!! Corrine Jackson is a fellow Apocalypsie, a fellow Class of 2k12 member, a Simon Pulse sistah and one of the nicest people I know, so it gives me great pleasure to be involved in the cover reveal for her YA novel IF I LIE. I am DYING to read this book!!!! Before I show you the cover, let me tell you why you’re going to want to read it too…
IF I LIE
A powerful debut novel about the gray space between truth and perception.
Quinn’s done the unthinkable: she kissed a guy who is not Carey, her boyfriend. And she got caught. Being branded a cheater would be bad enough, but Quinn is deemed a traitor, and shunned by all of her friends. Because Carey’s not just any guy—he’s serving in Afghanistan and revered by everyone in their small, military town.
Quinn could clear her name, but that would mean revealing secrets that she’s vowed to keep—secrets that aren’t hers to share. And when Carey goes MIA, Quinn must decide how far she’ll go to protect her boyfriend…and her promise.
*SQUEE* Didn’t I tell you this is going to be awesome????
Okay…so you want to see the cover???
I know you do!!!!!
Okay…I can’t make you wait any longer.
Here it is….
I think it’s absolutely perfect!!!!
Tags: Kim Sabatini, Kimberly Sabatini, Simon and Schuster, Simon Pulse, YA Author, YA Novel, YA Rebels, YA Writer
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I was so excited when an ARC of WHAT SHE LEFT BEHIND showed up in my mailbox. Yes, I did a little happy dance because Tracy is my pub-sister at Simon Pulse and a fellow Apocalypsie, making me double eager to read this book! I’ve pulled some information from Goodreads and Tracy’s website so I could share this amazing book and author with you.
“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.
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.
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.
WHAT SHE LEFT BEHIND is available for preorder at…
Don’t be shy–hit that buy button–you know you want to! You can also find out more about Tracy Bilen and WHAT SHE LEFT BEHIND here…
Tags: Kim Sabatini, Kimberly Sabatini, Simon and Schuster, Simon Pulse, Tracy Bilen, What She Left Behind, YA Author, YA Novel, YA Writer
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