Was It Something I Said?

Happy Book Birthday to dating coach Jess McCann's Was It Something I Said? The Answer to All Your Dating Dilemmas!  

Not only does Jess have Was It Something I Said? releasing this month by skirt! books, but an updated version of her previous book You Lost Him at Hello: From Dating to "I Do"-Secrets from One of America's Top Dating Coaches (HCI) is also being repackaged and rereleased.

In her new book, Jess gets into the nitty gritty of dating, she covers the trickiest and most troublesome scenarios in today's complicated dating world.  In a lot of ways, for writers, finding an agent is just like finding a mate. You want to find the perfect "match" for you and your work. With that in mind, I thought it would be fun to take one of the question from Jess' book and apply it to the author-agent relationship. Here goes:

How Do I Correct a Bad First Impression?

I've done my fair share of writer's conferences and bad first impressions happen more often than not-- authors stuttering through their pitches, drinking too much, or becoming angrily defensive of a critique. I know it's mostly due to nerves and often give writers the benefit of the doubt and let their writing speak for itself. However, if you're an author who has made this mistake and you want to make amends here is what Jess recommends (edited to fit our situation):

Admit Your Mistake: Crying to your writer friends while praying for the agent to call you won't fix anything. Take action and contact them yourself. Be honest. Tell them that you were extremely nervous. Then apologize.

Move On: If you see the agent again, don't mention your faux pas anymore. Telling them over and over again that it's not like you to be that way will lose its signifance if you keep watering it down with apologies. Everyone makes mistakes; no need to keep recapping yours. If the agent doesn't return your calls/emails or accept your apology, do not plot a recon mission to figure out how to win them back. What's done is done. Move on to the next agent and carry this lesson on with you. 

Be Your Own Hero!

Happy Book Birthday to The Friday Society by Adrienne Kress! I remember the first time Adrienne told me about this book idea she had, she pitched it as a Steampunk whodonuit featuring three girls who are all assistants to powerful men. She envisioned it as a book that would move at the clip of an action-packed thriller while also dealing with issues like women’s place in society and science versus superstition. She asked me what I thought. My immediate response:

"Um, *YEAH!"

And then Adrienne proceeded to execute the book flawlessly. 

In The Friday Society she introduces three incredible characters:

Nellie: Assistant to the renowned magician the Great Raheem. Nellie is a gorgeous former burlesque girl with a talent of escaping tight situations-- but with flair!

Cora: Lab assistant to the inventor Lord White. Cora grew up on the streets and loves experimenting with big guns (what girl doesn't?)

 

Michiko: Trained as a samurai, she left Japan seeking adventure and gets stuck working as the fight assistant for Sir Callum Fielding-Shaw. Michiko hasn't quite mastered the English language, but she finds other, incredibly kick ass, ways to express herself.

What I love about this book is that even though the book is set in Victorian London, these girls don't depend on their powerful benefactors to fix their problems. Nope. These girls can take care of themselves. It's smart AND funny. What's not to love?!

*I believe there might've even been a "HELL" before that YEAH...

While You Were Sleeping...

While you were sleeping last night, Matthew & Steve Murries book While You Were Sleeping was released! 

This book is the perfect Christmas gift for any kid who wonders what happens when they go to sleep each night. I always thought my parents did this:

But Matt & Steve Murrie have finally revealed the truth in their new book. 

Here's just a taste of all the amazing things that happen each and every night while you snooze:

-Would you believe that the world’s largest migration occurs every night of the year? The migrating animals are not birds, mammals or insects but a fish that lives in the twilight zone of the world’s oceans. The bristlemouths travel around 3,280 feet (1,000 meters) from their daytime dwelling place to the shallow waters of the oceans to feed on the many, smaller fish and copepods that live up there. 

- The human brain does not “turn off” when you go to bed at night. There is evidence that suggests it may even be more active at night while you are sleeping, than while you’re awake during the day. Sleep scientists have discovered four kinds of brain waves; two of those waves are most active at night. 

-While you are closing your eyes at night, one plant, called the Seven Golden Candlesticks, closes up its leaves for the night. The Seven Golden Candlesticks is a tropical plant that produces a flower with yellow parts that look like candle wax. It has flowers on top of these yellow parts that are reddish orange which resembles a flame.

The Stars Align for Passion Blue!

Happy Publication Day to Passion Blue by Victoria Strauss!

Victoria's inspiration for this book came from an editor who'd read her book The Lady of Rhuddesmere and wanted her to write a YA that dealt with the development of astrology throughout history. From that nugget of direction, Victoria took off running. She set Passion Blue in Renaissance, Italy, a time in which astrology was not just superstition, but a precise, exacting science, when every court had its own astrologer and anyone who could afford it had his or her horoscope cast at birth.

Since astrology is such a big part of Passion Blue, I thought it only appropriate to check out the book's horoscope for today. Couldn't be more on point! From Yahoo:

"Your ego needs a stroke or two today -- but try not to overdo it! It's all too easy to slide into megalomania, especially when you really are this awesome. Take what you need and leave the rest for others."

With that in mind, I'll only post one of the fabulous reviews that the book has been getting. Here's the starred review from Kirkus. Congrats, Victoria!!

Giulia is bright, curious and a gifted artist, born to a noble father and his humble mistress in 15th-century Renaissance Italy. Now her fate rests with her father’s widow, who’s sending Giulia to a Padua convent. Desperate to avoid a cloistered life, Giulia obtains a talisman that’s promised to deliver her heart’s desire: marriage to a good man and a home of her own. Convent life is hard. Highborn nuns enjoy freedom; others, like Giulia, labor at menial tasks. When her artistic talent’s discovered, she’s invited to join the close-knit group of artist nuns whose renowned work helps support the convent. Guided by Maestra Humilità, daughter of a famous artist, Giulia begins to learn this exacting craft with tasks like mixing egg tempera. Artists create their own colors, their recipes closely guarded secrets. Humilità’s precious passion blue is one; its beauty draws Giulia like a flame. So do visions of love and freedom beyond convent walls. But stealing away to meet handsome Ormanno, another talented artist, is risky. Fantasy elements and a historical setting rich with sensuous detail are satisfying, but it’s Giulia’s achingly real search for her heart’s desire that resonates most today, when millions of girls still have limited choices. A rare, rewarding, sumptuous exploration of artistic passion. (author’s note) /(Historical fantasy. 12 & up)

The first book in Lesley Livingston's newest series, STARLING, published this week! Woot, woot! 

 

This new book takes one of the hottest characters from her Wondrous Strange series, Fennrys Wolf, and throws him in the middle of his own crazy, sexy, fun adventure.  Lesley also creates an entirely new, entirely kick ass character: Mason Starling. I love this girl. (Yes, that's her on the cover. Cool, right?)

In honor of Lesley's pub week birthday, I thought it would be fun to feature each of the amazing trailers she's created for her books. 

Which one is your favorite? 

Bad Things Happen on Wednesdays...

Luckily today is a Tuesday and, even better, it's the Tuesday that the middle grade book The Wednesdays comes out. Happy Pubday, Julie Bourbeau!

In honor of The Wednesdays I did some digging on why Wednesday has such a bad rap: 

• Wednesday has the worst nickname of all the days of the week: Hump Day? Kids (and a few adults) have been snickering at this day for centuries. 
• There is a color associated with Wednesday-- according to the Thai solar calendar-- and it's green, the color of envy, one of the seven dead sins.
• In the folk rhyme Monday's Child "Wednesday's child is full of woe".
• In Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day, the disagreeable nature of the weather is attributed to it being "Winds-Day" (a play on "Wednesday").
• In Richard Brautigan's In Watermelon Sugar Wednesday is the day when the sun shines grey.
• In the Christian church, Holy Wednesday the Wednesday immediately following Easter, is also called Spy Wednesday, in reference to the betrayal of Jesus by Judas Iscariot.  
• And, finally, in Julie Bourbeau's hilarious new middle grade book strange things happen on Wednesdays in Max's town-- cats get stuck in vacuum cleaners and birthday cakes meet horrific ends-- but why does all this mayhem only happen on Wednesdays? Mystery, magic, mischief, and monsters abound, as Max unravels the truth behind The Wednesdays.  

Order your copy today, who knows what will happen to your package if you order it tomorrow...

Two Kickass Women!

I'm thrilled to say Happy Pub Day to J.C. Carleson. Not only has J.C. written an amazing thriller with a tough female protagonist, but she's also an ex-spy herself! Of all my clients, she, by far, has the coolest bio:

J.C. Carleson's biggest adventure started when she finished her Ivy League education (Cornell), then joined the CIA’s clandestine service while she was in her mid-twenties.  In her capacity as an undercover CIA officer, she spent more than seven years jumping out of airplanes, traveling the world, learning to operate a variety of weapons, and mastering the art of disguise. Her travels have taken her from bomb shelters in war zones to cocktail parties in European capitals.  


Her debut novel, Cloaks and Veils, gives a reader a sneak peak into what it's really like at CIA headquarters, while also delivering a page-turning story. It's the perfect beach read!

Happy Third Birthday, Willa Bean!

The third book in Cecilia Galante's adorable Little Wings series is released today, Star-Bubble Trouble!

Check out Cecilia's fantastic new website, www.ceciliagalante.com, which features personal "shelf-talkers" about each of her books.

The Return of Creepy Suspense Books!

Allow me a moment to be nostalgic... I've been thinking about the good ol' days when young adult books weren't all about vampires and werewolves. When there were other terrors waiting around corners: haunted streets, innocent (oddly-incestuous) children locked in attics, and sinister games.

Why have I been thinking about this? Because Kate Kae Myers' debut book The Vanishing Game takes all of my favorite "creepy suspense" themes and puts them into one amazing book... Minus the slightly-incestuous children... but there are two twins (Jocelyn and Jack) and their best friend, Noah, living in a strange foster home called Seale House, who form a childhood group called the "The Freaks".

Now eighteen, Jocelyn is grieving over Jack's recent and very unexpected death when she receives an envelope that can only be from Jack. Inside is a newspaper clipping that details a fire at Seale House. The cause is unknown, but Jocelyn knows one thing: Jack is alive. When Jocelyn returns to Seale House and the city where she last saw Noah, she gets more than she bargained for.

So, if you (like me) enjoyed:

Down the Dark Hall by Lois Duncan

Any of the Fear Street books (my favorite was the saga)

A Deadly Game of Magic by Joan Lowry Nixon

Flowers in the Attic by V.C. Andrews

Then you'll love The Vanishing Game. And if you haven't read any of these books... what are you waiting for?!

A Happy Dance in Honor of Cameron Post!

Happy Pub Day to The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily Danforth!

This book has been getting phenomenal reviews, just check out what the LA Times, NPR, Seventeen Magazine, Publishers Weekly, or Amazon has to say. Everyone loves Cameron Post! So, in honor of Cameron Post's Birthday, I'm going to share some happy dance videos from the late 80's/early 90's. (Disclaimer: My pop culture references are definitely not as obscure as Cameron's would be, but I think she'd still appreciate the effort...)

Willa Bean!

I'm thrilled to give a "million bajillion" birthday wishes to Willa Bean! The first two books in this early chapter book series, Little Wings, Willa Bean's Cloud Dreams and Be Brave, Willa Bean were published at the end of December.

The author, Cecilia Galante is well known for her middle grade and young adult books and this is her first foray into books for a younger audience (ages 6 & up). For all you authors out there, Willa Bean has a great publishing story, so let me give you a little insight into how this series came to be. Cecilia came into New York City one day to have lunch with me and to talk about her career. We sat down for a nice sushi lunch and, of course, immediately began talking about books. Cecilia was looking to start a new project and she asked me what was "trendy" at the moment. I threw out a few things that were hot in the young adult world: paranormal, fairytale adaptations, and angels. (This was a couple years ago). Cecilia paused for a moment and then said, "But what I'd really like to do is something for a younger audience.... Ooohh... what about young angels?" I immediately loved the idea, telling her, "Yes! Can you imagine all the merchandising potential? Just think of their little wings!" Which, smart Cecilia, jumped on, "Little Wings would be a great title for the series!"

Of course just that one lunch didn't seal the deal. Cecilia still had to write (and rewrite) the books. I had to pitch and sell it to editors. The lovely Jennifer Arena at Stepping Stones/Random House had the brilliant idea to turn the angels into cupids, which helped us avoid any unnecessary religious overtones. Jennifer also found the fabulous Kristi Valiant to illustrate the books And, now, at long last, Willa Bean is on the shelves!

If you have kids who are just learning to read, check out this series. You just have to love Willa Bean, with her million bajillion freckles and crazy, big, wild hair! And did I mention she has a pet owl named Snooze? :)

Past Continuous

Happy pub month to Past Continuous by K. Ryer Breese! This is the sequel to Breese's first book Future Imperfect.

I was in Raleigh over the Thanksgiving holiday visiting my sister and she's a big Fringe watcher and so, of course, I always end up watching it with her when I'm in North Carolina. Even though I'm only catching random episodes here and there (and constantly pausing her DVR to pepper her with questions about the plot), I find it a fascinating show-- and a very good comp for Past Continuous and Future Imperfect. Because if you like reality-bending, complex shows like Fringe, you'll love Breese's books.

In Past Continuous, with the help of one of his unsavory friends, Ade is able to change his past-- but not in the way that he hopes. Instead, he unknowingly changes it so that his girlfriend Vauxhall doesn't remember who he is. In order to fix the problem, Abe must kill four alternate versions of himself. (See? I told you! Fringe-ish!)

Kirkus says it best: larger-than-life fight scenes, criminal underworlds and superhuman displays.

It's twisted. And I love it.

A Love Letter to NYC

This book combines two of my favorite things: New York City and celebrities. An embarrassing confession: whenever I see a celebrity on the street I immediately text a friend (who is also celeb-obsessed. Seriously, she can list the names of every celebrity child-- in the correct birth-order. It's a true gift...) with the details: Where did I spot them? What were they wearing? How did they look?

Jeryl Brunner's book, MY CITY, MY NEW YORK makes my celebrity stalking so much easier. She went straight to the source and asked famous New Yorkers: Where are your favorite spots in the city and why?

So now I know:

-Glenn Close likes to walk her dogs in Central Park, near the West 81st entrance

-Anthony Bourdain celebrates with meals at Masa

-Joan Rivers loves the top of 30 Rock (and she was a NYC tour guide during college--who knew?!)

This book not only satisfies my celeb-obession, but it has shown me how little I know about "the city". I have a whole new list of places I need to visit. First stop, the restaurant Veselka, to hang out with Jon Stewart!

GHOSTS IN THE FOG: The Untold Story of Alaska's WWII Invasion by Samantha Seiple is on sale this week!

This is a non-fiction book for young adult readers, but anyone who is interested in history will enjoy it.

Did you know that the Japanese invaded (and occupied!) Alaska during WWII? Admittedly I'm no history buff, but I'd never heard about this. In GHOSTS IN THE FOG, Samantha Seiple takes a closer look at this little-known bit of history. She tells the story of the Americans who were taken prisoner by the Japanese, along with the soldiers (on both sides) who fought in this very bloody battle. Samantha does an incredible job of making history come alive.

And this book really got me thinking about the other parts of U.S. history that's been forgotten....

Every Day On Earth

Fact: Literary agents procrastinate 2,400 minutes out of every day... Okay, that's not a real fact.

What is true is that Every Day on Earth: Fun Facts That Happen Every 24 Hours by Steve and Matthew Murrie was published on August 1st and I'm incredibly delayed in wishing them a Happy, Happy Birthday!

This is a trivia book that is perfect for parents who are looking for ways for their kids to have fun learning, as they head back to school this month. The book gives readers a look at what happens every day. (Did you know that 46 million turkeys are eaten in America every Thanksgivings? Or that lightening strikes the earth 8,640,000 times every day?)

And adults will love it too. I know, when I first read it, I ran around the office going "Every Day on Earth..." Fact: My coworkers threw 2 million balls of paper at my head that day...

OMG, it's GLITTERY!

I just received my copy of ONCE EVERY NEVER by Lesley Livingston in the mail and it is.... GLITTERY! Literally, the cover image on Amazon...
... does NOT do the book justice. The actual book has sparkly, shiny glitter bursts all over it.

Glitter is particularly appropriate for this book. When I submitted ONCE EVERY NEVER to editors, this was (really) the last line of the authors bio: "Captivated at a young age by stories of past civilizations and legendary heroes, Lesley is an unrepentant egghead – a character-trait that somehow doesn't interfere with a love of shoes and shiny things."

Well, I'm captivated! By the packaging of this book, by the story (which is funny! Think: Veronica Mars-style snappy dialog... and sexy! Think: a love SQUARE), and by Lesley's incredible writing talent!

And, the good news is that while this book was sold as a stand-alone novel, Penguin recently bought two more books in the series. I can't imagine how Penguin will top this cover.... but I'm looking forward to finding out!

The Buzz

Future Imperfect by K. Ryer Breese publishes today from Thomas Dunne/St. Martin's Press!

This is one of those books that can easily be pitched in one sentence: A boy who can see the future (but only when he knocks himself out) falls in love with a girl who can see the past (but only when she's sexually intimate with someone) and together they must stop a future murder from happening.

This novel is wild, exhilarating, twisted, thoughtful, funny, violent, dark, romantic, gross, addictive, gritty, unique... I could keep going, but it would be so much more fun if you read it yourself and let me know what you think of it in one word.

Disclaimer: this book is definitely not for the weak-stomached!

The Summer of May

Cecilia Galante's The Summer of May publishes today!!

Cecilia is one of my favorite kind of authors, someone who can write any genre, because her writing is all about characters--whether they're elementary school kids, pre-teens, teens, or adults-- she can get inside all of their heads so well that you feel like you know them personally.

The Summer of May is her third middle grade novel, but she also has two teen novels, an upcoming early reader series, and she's currently working on an adult novel. She's a Jane of all trades!

To top it all off she has a great blog on writing: http://www.ceciliagalante.com/

One of my favorite things is how she signs off on her blog posts. Cecilia, I'm taking a page for your blog today:

Onwards, Always!

The Girl Who Was on Fire

The Girl Who Was On Fire: Your Favorite Authors on Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games Trilogy went on sale yesterday, April 5th! I'm really excited about this anthology because I just love thought-provoking YA fiction and this anthology looks deeper into the incredibly rich world that Suzanne Collins created.

Also, one of my favorite clients, Adrienne Kress (Alex and the Ironic Gentleman, Timothy and the Dragon's Gate) is a contributor for the anthology. Her essay "The Inevitable Decline of Decandence" addresses society's obsession with decadence and how it inevitably leads our downfall. Let's just say, it's quite timely for the current situation we find ourselves in.

If you're a fan of The Hunger Games you're going to love The Girl Who Was on Fire.

And, if you haven't read The Hunger Games, what the heck are you waiting for?! Go out and read the series and then pick up this anthology. I guarantee it will deepen your understanding of the series.

Review Day!

Two great reviews came in for a couple of my upcoming April books!

Kirkus said this about FUTURE IMPERFECT by K. Ryer Breese:

A slick, fast-paced thriller with a comic-book aesthetic. D-student Ade Patience begins to see the future when he gets a head injury. Chasing “the Buzz”—his name for the high the visions give him—Ade insults tough guys, stages car accidents and jumps off buildings, leaving his companions (usually female) to clean him up, tend to his wounds and take him safely home. The story opens on a day Ade has foreseen and anticipated: The day She, the future love of his life, appears in the school cafeteria and sings to him. She is Vauxhall: bold, perfect and, as per the visions, destined for Ade. But fast-talking liar Jimi Ministry wants Vauxhall for himself. To his great distress, Ade keeps seeing visions of himself killing Jimi, and his visions always come true. The pace is cinematic, with short chapters, short sentences, snappy banter and Ade's cool, careening narration.

And Publishers Weekly said this about THE SUMMER OF MAY by Cecilia Galante:

Galante's (Willowood) bittersweet story of a troubled 13-year-old stars spunky Maeve (May) O'Toole, who holds a lot of grudges. May's most recent target is her English teacher, "Movado the Avocado," who she blames for having to repeat English in summer school. Spending her mornings prepping and painting the classroom wall she defaced during the school year and doing writing assignments for her teacher, May has a lot of time to think. She broods about all the things that make her mad and about all the people who have abandoned her: her old group of friends; her father, who now works double shifts and is hardly ever home; and her grandmother, who spends her days in bed. But mostly May thinks about the mother she will never see again. The summer takes some unexpected turns as May discovers previously unseen sides of Miss Movado and learns that they have something profound in common. Brimming with emotion and insight into adolescent rage, Galante's prose investigates the impact of loss and the importance of making amends.