Category: Readings

This Saturday, YA Panel at the Blue Bunny!

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This Saturday (March 14, aka 3/14, aka Pi Day) at 4pm, I’ll be at Blue Bunny Books & Toys with four other awesome YA authors for a conversation about writing books for teens, the YA community, and (hopefully) our favorite kinds of pie. The details:

Young Adult Author Panel Discussion and Book Signing
Saturday March 14th, 4pm
The Blue Bunny Books & Toys
577 High St, Dedham, Massachusetts 02026

Check out the the Facebook event page for more details. In the meantime, some non-blue bunnies:

See you on Saturday!

Upcoming Event: YA Panel at Porter Square Books on July 17th!

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Summer might seem like a long time away, especially for those of us in the Boston area who are still surviving the coldest/snowiest winter ever. Fortunately, I’m looking forward to a July 17, when I’ll be on a YA panel with several other 2014/2015 debut authors! The details:

Young Adult Author Panel Discussion
Friday, July 17th, 7pm
Porter Square Books
Porter Square Shopping Center, 25 White Street, Cambridge, MA 02140
Join YA authors Susan Adrian, Jen Brooks, Annie Cardi, MarcyKate Connolly, Trisha Leaver, Rachel Shane for a panel discussion, moderated by YA author Mackenzie Lee, as they talk about reading, writing, and the debut experience.

Porter Square Books is where I had the launch party for The Chance You Won’t Return and I’m so excited to be back there with a bunch of other lovely debut authors. Mark your calendars!

Upcoming Event: YA Panel at the Blue Bunny on March 14th!

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Two cool things about living in Massachusetts: lots of awesome bookstores and a great community of YA and children’s writers and readers. These two things come together next month, when I join some favorite local YA authors for a panel at the Blue Bunny Bookstore in Dedham, MA. The details:

Young Adult Author Panel Discussion and Book Signing
Saturday March 14th, 3 p.m.
The Blue Bunny Books & Toys
577 High St, Dedham, Massachusetts 02026
Join YA authors Cara Bertrand, Kim Harrington, Annie Cardi, AC Gaughen, and Gina Damico for a panel discussion, Q&A, and some tasty treats.

I’m so excited to be part of such a great group. Plus, it’s March 14th, aka 3/14, aka Pi Day, so there may even be celebratory pie. What more could you want?

And since it’s an event at the Blue Bunny, that’s an excuse to share a bunny gif, right?

Hope to see you all next month!

 

Listening to Your Characters, Shaved Heads, and Hamster Divination: the 2014 Boston Teen Author Festival

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The raffle table, filled with bookish goodness.

The raffle table, filled with bookish goodness.

Saturday was the Boston Teen Author Festival and it was a huge success! I’m so glad I got to be part of this event. The BTAF staff did such a wonderful job bringing everything together, running thoughtful and fun panels, and sharing enthusiasm about YA. Also major thanks to the Cambridge Public Library staff and the team from Porter Square Books for their hard work at the event and bringing books to so many readers. A few highlights from the day:

  • Getting to hear my fellow authors’ most useless talents, including reciting all the states in alphabetical order, making some seriously weird faces, and telling the future via hamsters.
  • Hearing about how MT Anderson worked in the image of a shaved male head into his novel at the last minute.
  • Learning about how authors use their current concerns about technology and the future to create chilling and emotionally grounded sci-fi worlds.
  • Being on a panel with amazing authors Francisco X. Stork, Emily Franklin, Stewart Lewis,  Huntley Fitzpatrick, and Erin Dionne.
  • Talking with aforementioned amazing authors about how essential it is to create a complete web of relationships for your main character, not just romantic ones.
  • Emily Franklin saying that she knows she’s really getting into a story when she starts telling people, “So it turns out…” Love that phrase for the moment of discovery!
  • Signing books for awesome readers (seriously never gets old).
  • My mom befriending half the authors and attendees.
  • A mug full of chocolate minis from the BTAF staff, aka everything I love in one place.
  • Getting to see and talk to so many wonderful teen readers. You guys warm my heart!
Buttons and mugs, my favorite forms of swag.

Buttons and mugs, my favorite forms of swag.

Thank you again to everyone who made this event possible, and to everyone who came out and spent the day with us at the Cambridge Public Library.

Is it time for the 2015 Boston Teen Author Festival yet?

Come Find Me at Buttonwood Books Tomorrow Night!

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Tomorrow I’ll be at Buttonwood Books in Cohasset, MA (just outside of Boston) for a panel and signing with my fellow 2014 debut YA author the lovely Skylar Dorset!

Come for the discussion about YA writing, stay for the signing and smiles.

The details:

YA Author Panel and Signing
August 13, 7pm at Buttonwood Books
747 CJC HWY RTE 3A
Cohasset, MA 02025

The weather is supposed to be kind of gross, but hopefully by 7pm things will have calmed down. And what better way to spend a rainy day than by hitting up a local bookstore?

Upcoming Events: Buttonwood Books and the Boston Teen Author Festival!

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A couple of new and excellent events to add to the calendar!

On Wednesday, August 13 at 7pm, I’ll be at Buttonwood Books in Cohasset, MA with fellow 2014 debut YA author (and all around delightful person) Skylar Dorset. We’ll be BrOEEmsCAAAGCN2talking about writing, being debut authors, how awesome YA is, and more.

And then on September 27, I’ll be part of the 2014 Boston Teen Author Festival at the Cambridge Public Library. Other authors on this year’s schedule include local favorites like A.C. Gaughen, Sashi Kaufman, Diana Renn, and Erin Dionne; and I might just fangirl myself into a frenzy over fellow Candlewick author M.T. Anderson.

Check out the Appearances and Interviews page for more info, and mark your calendars now!

 

Books, Cake, and a Dress with Planes on It: The Chance You Won’t Return Launch Party

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Being a writer can seem like a very solitary job. You spend a lot of time alone with your computer, thinking about imaginary people, and occasionally tweeting about things those imaginary people are doing. But sometimes you get a reminder that being a writer involves so many people, that it’s about connecting and sharing. Sometimes that reminder comes with cake. On Tuesday, I had the launch party for The Chance You Won’t Return at Porter Square Books, and it went so well. Check out some of the photos:

An awesome night like this doesn’t just happen. Some very special thanks to:

  • Porter Square Books for letting us use their fantastic space, for being so gracious and professional, and for being a kick-ass bookstore.
  • My incredible critique group who made t-shirts, got a delicious cake, did all of the pre-party prep, managed the crowd, and made me feel super supported. I’m so lucky to be part of this group.
  • The Candlewick Press team, aka, the best people in the publishing business. It was so cool to see some familiar and enthusiastic Candlewick faces in the crowd!
  • My friends and family who came out on a chilly Tuesday night to listen to me read, ask me great questions about writing, give me big hugs, and let me sign their books. I am overwhelmed by love.
  • The fine people of Modcloth who sold a dress with tiny airplanes on it. May all my future launch parties feature book-themed dresses.

Thank you so much to everyone who came out. I couldn’t have asked for a better launch party!

Books, Giveaways, and Cake: Launch Party for The Chance You Won’t Return

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The Chance You Won’t Return is now available at your favorite bookstore, but the launch party is still to come! Come to Porter Square Books on Tuesday, April 29th at 7pm for:

  • book signings…
  • read aloud time…
  • questions and answers about writing, life, Amelia Earhart, never-have-I-ever…
  • hearing me talk about how awesome YA is…
  • cake!
  • giveaways!
Jones, Leslie, 1886-1967 (photographer) Courtesy of the Boston Public Library, Leslie Jones Collection.

Jones, Leslie, 1886-1967 (photographer)
Courtesy of the Boston Public Library, Leslie Jones Collection.

But not just any giveaways! Come to the launch party in a TCYWR cover-inspired red hoodie and get a prize. Come to the launch dressed as Amelia Earhart and get a super special prize. Or just come to the launch party and get the chance to win your very own signed copy of The Chance You Won’t Return!

And even if you don’t win anything, there is still delicious cake–so really, everyone is a winner.

The details:

The Chance You Won’t Return launch party
April 29th, 7pm at Porter Square Books
RSVP to the Facebook event page

Hope to see you there!

The Chance You Won’t Return Launch Party!

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The Chance You Won’t Return‘s release date is less than a month away, which obviously means my mind is turning to thoughts of celebration. Because you need tasty treat and a new outfit for your book birthday, right?

If you’re in the Boston area and want to join me for an evening of reading, happy dances, and tasty treats, come to The Chance You Won’t Return launch party at Porter Square Books!

The details:

The Chance You Won’t Return Launch Party
April 29, 2014
7pm
Porter Square Books
25 White Street
Cambridge, MA 02140

Come for the Q&A, stay for the happy dancing and book signing! There’s an event page for it over at my Facebook page, in case you want to be all official and RSVP.

I’d really appreciate seeing friendly faces, so please come out on April 29!