Busy Busy Busy

Today may seriously be the busiest day of my life! Check out all that's going on, and if you're in Chicago stop by one of these many event and say hi! don't miss my book launch at 7:30 at the Book Cellar (info below). Hope to see you all :)


June 28th (Friday) - Breaking Out: Veronica Roth and Debut Authors from The Class of 2k13 Discuss Their Upcoming Books

When: 11:00am to 12:00pm

Location: Hilton Chicago Waldorf Room

 

Description:  Come hear NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author Veronica Roth and debut authors from The Class of 2k13 talk about their exciting new books. This is your chance to meet the potential stars of tomorrow, today. This session will include a brief question and answer period AND a teen fiction trivia contest (librarians vs. authors) for fabulous prizes!

Panelists include: Caela Carter, ME, HIM THEM AND IT (YA Contemporary); Debra Driza MILA 2.0 (YA Sci/fi); Polly Holyoke THE NEPTUNE PROJECT (MG Sci/fi); Justina Ireland VENGEANCE BOUND (YA Urban Fantasy); Demitria Lunetta IN THE AFTER (YA Post-Apocalyptic); Jennifer McGowan MAID OF SECRETS (YA Historical); Nicole McInnes BRIANNA ON THE BRINK (YA Contemporary); Kate Karyus Quinn ANOTHER LITTLE PIECE (YA Literary Horror); Liesl Shurtliff RUMP, THE TRUE STORY OF RUMPELSTILTSKIN (MG Fantasy); Tamera Wissinger GONE FISHING (MG Novel In Verse).
 

June 28th (Friday) - The Class of 2K13 Group Signing

 

When - 4pm - 7pm

Where - The Book Cellar - 4736-38 N. Lincoln ave., Chicago, Illinois 60625

 

Join us for our first group signing!

About 2K13: Each year, a group of twenty Young Adult and Middle
Grade debut authors from traditional publishers come
together to spread the word about new books that we hope
... will get kids excited about reading. From timeless fantasy to
up-to-the moment contemporary to futuristic sci-fi, harrowing
thrillers to thrilling romance, Young Adult and Middle Grade
literature has never been more diverse. http://classof2k13.com/

Schedule:


4pm - Middle Grade Authors (Reading and Book Signing)

Liesl Shurtliff - RUMP: THE TRUE STORY OF RUMPELSTILTSKIN - MG Fantasy
Tamera Wissinger - GONE FISHING - MG Contemporary Adventure
Polly Holyoke - THE NEPTUNE PROJECT - MG Sci-fi
Tara Sullivan – GOLDEN BOY – MG Contemporary


5pm - Young Adult Authors (Reading and Book Signing)

Debra Driza - MILA 2.0 - YA Sci-fi
Caela Carter – ME, HIM, THEM, & IT – YA Contemporary
Kate Karyus Quinn - ANOTHER LITTLE PIECE - YA Literary Horror
Jennifer McGowan - MAID OF SECRETS - YA Historical Fiction
Nicole McInnes - BRIANNA ON THE BRINK - YA Contemporary
Demitria Lunetta - IN THE AFTER - YA Post-apocalyptic


6pm - Young Adult Authors - preview for upcoming releases (Reading with Swag Signing)


Lydia Kang - CONTROL - YA Sci-fi
Mindy McGinnis - NOT A DROP TO DRINK - YA Post-apocalyptic
Geoffrey Girard - PROJECT CAIN - YA Sci-fi
K. A. Barson - 45 POUNDS (MORE OR LESS) - YA Contemporary
Cristin Terrill - ALL OUR YESTERDAYS - YA Sci-fi

Hope to see you all there!

 

 

 

June 28th (Friday) -  IN THE AFTER Launch Party

When - 7:30 pm

Where - The Book Cellar - 4736-38 N. Lincoln ave., Chicago, Illinois 60625

 

Come join me for the IN THE AFTER book launch party! There will be door prizes, snacks (yes, there will be cupcakes), character appearances, photo ops., tons of swag, prize giveaways (including t-shirts) and an awesome grand prize!

IN THE AFTER Releases Today

Yay! It's finally here!!! IN THE AFTER hits shelves today...and I've already gone to visit my book-baby at B&N :)

If you want to know if it's for you, read about it on Goodreads. And if you'd like to purchase you can find it at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

And for those of you in Chicago, my launch party is Friday! 7:30 at The Bookcellar.


Bye, back tomorrow!

IN THE AFTER Releases Tomorrow!

So...freaking...excited!!!

If you want to ask me any questions I'm answering comments over at the 2K13 blog here.

 

 

Back tomorrow!

 



IN THE AFTER Survival Kit

IN THE AFTER week continues on Epic Reads with a kit of essentials needed to survive the After. What would be in your survival kit? Comment on Epic Reads and you could win a copy of IN THE AFTER!

I'll be back next week with book release post all week long. Woohoo! June 25th is almost here!

 

IN THE AFTER on Epic Reads

IN THE AFTER is all over Epic Reads this week...


Take the SURVIVING THE AFTER Quiz:

How would you survive the apocalypse? Take the IN THE AFTER quiz and find out which of your skills would be most useful. Would you take charge, rely on others, or try to find the solution? Are you a doer, a chameleon, or a thinker? Visit Epic Reads to take the quiz...then post your results in comments!

Also check out the IN THE AFTER Playlist here. IN THE AFTER doesn’t have a lot of music in it, but that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t have a soundtrack. Songs have so much power, they can be so vital to experiencing raw emotion. This playlist is full of songs that echo a character’s emotion/mental state. To represent the apocalypse I chose a lot of the gritty nineties songs I love, but acoustic versions that seem more honest. I also picked a few covers that made me rethink a much-loved original, making it new and fresh and fitting.

And while you're on Epic Reads, browse inside IN THE AFTER and read the first 90 pages!

 

 



IN THE AFTER is out on Tuesday, so mark your calendars!
 

IN THE AFTER Sneak Peak!

 
 
Wondering about IN THE AFTER? Want to read the first few chapters before it's even released? Stop by Epic Reads and browse inside to get a sneak peak. Hopefully, you'll get hooked :)

ARC Spotlight – Charm & Strange by Stephanie Kuehn

 

When you’ve been kept caged in the dark, it’s impossible to see the forest for the trees. It’s impossible to see anything, really. Not without bars . . .

Andrew Winston Winters is at war with himself.

He’s part Win, the lonely teenager exiled to a remote Vermont boarding school in the wake of a family tragedy. The guy who shuts all his classmates out, no matter the cost.

He’s part Drew, the angry young boy with violent impulses that control him. The boy who spent a fateful, long-ago summer with his brother and teenage cousins, only to endure a secret so monstrous it led three children to do the unthinkable.

Over the course of one night, while stuck at a party deep in the New England woods, Andrew battles both the pain of his past and the isolation of his present.

Before the sun rises, he’ll either surrender his sanity to the wild darkness inside his mind or make peace with the most elemental of truths—that choosing to live can mean so much more than not dying.

Recommended for fans of: Dark YA Contemporary with a paranormal feel

It’s hard to review this book without giving away spoilers but I’ll give it my best. Kuehn writes such a dark and complex story, headed by a dark and complex MC. All the characters seem real, I love how Andrew/Win has a love/hate relationship with his “best” friend. This book is full of unexpected twists and painful revelations. It will haunt you long after you’ve finished the last page.

CHARM & STRANGE came out yesterday and is available now!

Printer's Row Recap

Printer's Row was so much fun. The panel I was on was a group of debut authors, each sharing their unique experiences on the road to publication. Here we all are:

The awesome Kate Hannigan was the moderator. Next to her is Tom Watson, author of STICK DOG. Then Nancy Cavanaugh, who's debut novel THIS JOURNAL BELONGS TO RATCHET received a starred Kirkus review. Then is me and at the end is Eileen Meyer, who navigated the publishing process without an agent. Her debut picture book is called WHO'S FASTER? ANIMALS ON MOVE. It was fun to hear everyone's different journey to publication.


I also got to do my first panel signing...of a bookplate!

 

Back Wednesday with an ARC Spotlight!

 



My First Ever Panel & Writing Summer Flings!

So Sunday is my first panel and I'm really excited. If you're in Chicago, head down to the Printer's Row Lit Fest. Here's the details:

June 9th (Sunday) - Printer's Row, Chicago 10am
Panelist - The First Chapter: Debut Children's Authors
Located - 525 S. State Street - University Center/Park/Foundation Room - Printer's Row neighborhood on the blocks surrounding Dearborn and Polk Streets.

Also, the blog topic this week is:

Have you ever written a summer fling? Or are all your fictional relationships the deep, forever kind? If you did write one, how would it begin (the meet cute)? Where would it be set? Give us a few paragraphs sample.   


I am horrible at romance, and have never written a summer fling...or a fling of any kind for that matter. I feel my romance turns out all soap-opera-y and I think romance should be left to others. What about you all, have you written a summer fling...would love for everyone to post a sample!

IN THE AFTER June Events

June is a huge month for me...IN THE AFTER releases on June 25th! I'm also participating in a lot of fantastic events. Hopefully you can come to some!

June 9th (Sunday) - Printer's Row, Chicago 10am
Panelist - The First Chapter: Debut Children's Authors
Located - University Center/Park/Fountain Room - Printers Row neighborhood on the blocks surrounding Dearborn and Polk streets
 

June 20th (Thursday) - Lucky 13s Twitter Chat 8pm (Est) 7pm (Central) Topic: Paranormally Yours: Talking About the Strange and Creepy and Otherworldly #Lucky13s @TheLucky13s @Demitria Lunetta
 

 

June 25th (Tuesday) - IN THE AFTER releases!

 

 

June 28th (Friday) - Breaking Out: Veronica Roth and Debut Authors from The Class of 2k13 Discuss Their Upcoming Books

When: 11:00am to 12:00pm

Location: Hilton Chicago Waldorf Room

 

Description:  Come hear NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author Veronica Roth and debut authors from The Class of 2k13 talk about their exciting new books. This is your chance to meet the potential stars of tomorrow, today. This session will include a brief question and answer period AND a teen fiction trivia contest (librarians vs. authors) for fabulous prizes!

Panelists include: Caela Carter, ME, HIM THEM AND IT (YA Contemporary); Debra Driza MILA 2.0 (YA Sci/fi); Polly Holyoke THE NEPTUNE PROJECT (MG Sci/fi); Justina Ireland VENGEANCE BOUND (YA Urban Fantasy); Demitria Lunetta IN THE AFTER (YA Post-Apocalyptic); Jennifer McGowan MAID OF SECRETS (YA Historical); Nicole McInnes BRIANNA ON THE BRINK (YA Contemporary); Kate Karyus Quinn ANOTHER LITTLE PIECE (YA Literary Horror); Liesl Shurtliff RUMP, THE TRUE STORY OF RUMPELSTILTSKIN (MG Fantasy); Tamera Wissinger GONE FISHING (MG Novel In Verse).
 

June 28th (Friday) - The Class of 2K13 Group Signing

 

When - 4pm - 7pm

Where - The Book Cellar - 4736-38 N. Lincoln ave., Chicago, Illinois 60625

 

Join us for our first group signing!

About 2K13: Each year, a group of twenty Young Adult and Middle
Grade debut authors from traditional publishers come
together to spread the word about new books that we hope
... will get kids excited about reading. From timeless fantasy to
up-to-the moment contemporary to futuristic sci-fi, harrowing
thrillers to thrilling romance, Young Adult and Middle Grade
literature has never been more diverse. http://classof2k13.com/

Schedule:


4pm - Middle Grade Authors (Reading and Book Signing)

Liesl Shurtliff - RUMP: THE TRUE STORY OF RUMPELSTILTSKIN - MG Fantasy
Tamera Wissinger - GONE FISHING - MG Contemporary Adventure
Polly Holyoke - THE NEPTUNE PROJECT - MG Sci-fi
Tara Sullivan – GOLDEN BOY – MG Contemporary


5pm - Young Adult Authors (Reading and Book Signing)

Debra Driza - MILA 2.0 - YA Sci-fi
Caela Carter – ME, HIM, THEM, & IT – YA Contemporary
Kate Karyus Quinn - ANOTHER LITTLE PIECE - YA Literary Horror
Jennifer McGowan - MAID OF SECRETS - YA Historical Fiction
Nicole McInnes - BRIANNA ON THE BRINK - YA Contemporary
Demitria Lunetta - IN THE AFTER - YA Post-apocalyptic


6pm - Young Adult Authors - preview for upcoming releases (Reading with Swag Signing)


Lydia Kang - CONTROL - YA Sci-fi
Mindy McGinnis - NOT A DROP TO DRINK - YA Post-apocalyptic
Geoffrey Girard - PROJECT CAIN - YA Sci-fi
K. A. Barson - 45 POUNDS (MORE OR LESS) - YA Contemporary
Cristin Terrill - ALL OUR YESTERDAYS - YA Sci-fi

Hope to see you all there!

 

 

 

June 28th (Friday) -  IN THE AFTER Launch Party

When - 7:30 pm

Where - The Book Cellar - 4736-38 N. Lincoln ave., Chicago, Illinois 60625

 

Come join me for the IN THE AFTER book launch party! There will be door prizes, snacks (yes, there will be cupcakes), character appearances, photo ops., tons of swag, prize giveaways (including t-shirts) and an awesome grand prize!