It’s Book Festival time and I am so excited to finally be returning to in-person events. One of my favorite places to hang out is the Poughkeepsie Book Festival and this year there will be over 40 authors and illustrators (covering reading ages from preschool to Young Adult), costumed book characters such as Elephant and Piggie, Esteban the Magnificent from The Day the Crayons Came Home, Curious George, and more! There will also be fun crafts and activities for the kids. Signed books will be available for purchase.
Where to go and when to be there…
Saturday, April 2, 10 am to 4 pm
Poughkeepsie High School–70 Forbus Street, Poughkeepsie, NY
I’ll be signing copies of TOUCHING THE SURFACE and would love to hang out with you.
Cover of TOUCHING THE SURFACE by Kimberly Sabatini
Experience the afterlife in this lyrical, paranormal novel that will send your heart soaring.
When Elliot finds herself dead for the third time, she knows she must have messed up, big-time. She doesn’t remember how she landed in the afterlife again, but she knows this is her last chance to get things right.
Elliot just wants to move on, but first, she 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 thesecrets and mistakes of her past, Elliot must find a way to earn the forgiveness of the person she’s hurt most, and reveal the truth about herself to the two boys she loves…even if it means losing them both forever.
Of course, I’ll be there supporting Beacon and signing books.
Kimberly Sabatini is a former Special Education Teacher who is now a stay-at-home mom. She lives in New York’s Hudson Valley with her husband and three boys. Kimberly writes Young Adult fiction and is represented by Michelle Wolfson of Wolfson Literary Agency. TOUCHING THE SURFACE is her debut novel. (Simon Pulse – Simon & Schuster)
Experience the afterlife in this lyrical, paranormal debut novel that will send your heart soaring.When Elliot finds herself dead for the third time, she knows she must have messed up, big-time. She doesn’t remember how she landed in the afterlife again, but she knows this is her last chance to get things right.
Elliot just wants to move on, but first she 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 secrets and mistakes of her past, Elliot must find a way to earn the forgiveness of the person she’s hurt most, and reveal the truth about herself to the two boys she loves…even if it means losing them both forever.
“Sabatini creates an exquisitely tangible alternate reality, ordering the cosmos with impressive authorial derring-do, crafting answers to ontological questions with grace, disarming simplicity, and nary a trace of dogma. All while believable teens–teen souls, that is–tangle with affection, selfishness, and doubt. Thought-provoking and romantic, Touching the Surface takes risks with narrative and form, and succeeds on multiple levels.” –RBW (Chronogram)
“Soulful and inventive. A thoroughly original vision for what happens next.” –Daisy Whitney, author of The Mockingbirds
“This gorgeous, lyrical read will sweep you away.” –Jessica Verday, bestselling author of The Hollow trilogy
Can’t make the Hudson Valley Winter Book Fair and would like to give a signed copy of TOUCHING THE SURFACE for the holidays?
Please contact me HERE and I’ll make sure you get what you’re looking for.
If you’re local, I’d appreciate you posting, reposting and sharing about the Book Fair to help make it a success. Hope to see you there!
Can you believe it’s been almost a year since I became an author? And even longer since I sold my first book and got an agent. Here’s a little walk down memory lane. Humor me–I’m nostalgic today. So in no particular order because that would add a layer of organization I’m not capable of, here’s just a few of my most fabulous moments between finding my agent and birthing a paperback…
Standing outside the Simon & Schuster offices.
Apocalypsies at the LA SCBWI Conference!!!
Meeting my agent (Michelle Wolfson) and editor (Anica Rissi) for the first time. <3
Kimmiepoppins met Mary Poppins!!!! I met Julie Andrews!!!!
Signing my contract!!!!!! I AM GOING TO BE AN AUTHOR!!!
My book was at Bologna. Takes my breath away.
Wow!
My Yanni dance girls wearing TOUCHING THE SURFACE T-shirts. <3
Signing books at my book launch.
Good friends drove in from far away despite all the trouble with Hurricane Sandy.
Just an amazing experience.
Unable to thank my friends and family enough for their love and support on that special day.
More book launch at Oblong Books. I LOVE that bookstore and everyone in it. <3
Dad–there–even when he couldn’t be. The dedication.
On bookshelves in bookstores.
Kimmiepoppins finally gets a book launch in NYC after Hurricane Sandy delayed it. Mean Hurricane–awesome party.
Woo hoo!!! I got to speak at the NY Public Library.
I’m a fangirl–it’s A.S. King people!!!!!
I’m a fangirl–it’s Sharon Creech people!!!!
My first SCBWI faculty gig at the Eastern NY SCBWI Conference–where I got paid to talk with my hands about things I love.
Connecting with teen readers and making hedgehogs. *grin*
Loving on my writer mama, K.L. Going. <3 Wouldn’t be here without her.
And because you made it to the end of my reminiscing…you shall be rewarded with a chance to win a signed copy of the brand spanking new TOUCHING THE SURFACE paperback!!!!
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
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?
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.
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.
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…
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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…
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