We found 87 results.
AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Kitty Keswick, FREAKSVILLE (GIVEAWAY ALERT NOW – 03/08/11)
March 1st, 2011 by Kitty Keswick · 
Email post
· 
Print
This week, we’re celebrating Kitty’s debut! Kitty Keswick has been an Anglophile since age four when she saw Robin Hood and fell head over heels in love. As she grew up on her grandfather’s California vineyard, Kitty’s imagination was her best friend. At a very tender age, she started writing her stories and reading them to the grapes.
Kitty spends her days with werewolves, Valkyries, vamps, and other creatures that go bump in the night. Check out her website www.kittykeswick.com.
Here’s a little bit about FREAKSVILLE (Leap Books).
A group of teenagers, trapped in a haunted theater… Continue reading
Categories: Author Spotlight · Contests
AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Vicky Whipple, THE LITTLE WEED FLOWER (GIVEAWAY ALERT NOW – 12/07/10)
November 30th, 2010 by Vicky Whipple · Email post
· Print
This week, we’re celebrating Vicky’s debut! Vicky Whipple is an avid student of life’s great lessons. She grew up as Vicky Le Grand—an energetic “navy brat” who loved the outdoors. By the time she graduated from high school she’d gone to 11 schools. Along the way, she struggled with school’s demands, especially reading, due to a learning disability. Aided by wonderful teachers and a patient mother, she wrote her first story in the second grade; it was published in the school paper. Later in life, she helped children who struggled like she did, while working for the school district’s special… Continue reading
Categories: Author Spotlight · Contests
AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Stuart Stotts, WE SHALL OVERCOME: A Song That Changed the World
November 23rd, 2010 by Stuart Stotts · Email post
· Print
This week, we’re celebrating Stuart’s debut! Stuart Stotts is an author, songwriter, and storyteller from Deforest, Wi. He’s made his living for nearly 25 years as a performer, working in schools, libraries, and community events. He also leads teacher workshops around the country as a Kennedy Center Teaching Artists, and as a frequent keynote presenter for early childhood conferences.
Stuart lives in Victorian house in Deforest.King He loves to ride his recumbent bicycle and spend time at his cabin in the woods. He was born in Texas and raised in Chicago, and he’s visited many countries. He and his wife love… Continue reading
Categories: Interviews
AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: M. G. King, LIBRARIAN ON THE ROOF! A TRUE STORY (GIVEAWAY ALERT NOW – 11/23/10)
November 16th, 2010 by M. G. King · Email post
· Print
This week, we’re celebrating M. G. King’s debut! M. G. King grew up in southern Indiana on the Ohio River. She always wanted to be like the town’s librarian, who drove a rusty bookmobile through snow and chased off neighborhood bullies so children could check out her books. Although King hasn’t found anyone willing to let her drive their bookmobile yet, she’s held lots of other jobs, including camp counselor, ESL teacher in Japan, and registered nurse in ICU, transplant, and surgical recovery.
King lives in a suburb of Houston with her husband, two sons, and a Labrador who sheds a… Continue reading
Categories: Author Spotlight · Contests
AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Nancy Gow, TEN BIG TOES AND A PRINCE’S NOSE (GIVEAWAY ALERT NOW – 11/16/10)
November 9th, 2010 by Nancy Gow · Email post
· Print
This week, we’re celebrating Nancy’s debut! Nancy has always tried to do the things she enjoys most. She was a rock singer in her late teens and twenties, with the lead role in a hit rock musical and life on the road with a wonderful band called Software. Then she did a complete “about-turn” and became a yoga teacher, immersing herself in yoga postures, breathing techniques and meditation. This was followed by the perfect combination of the ridiculous and the sublime when she discovered the joy of writing for children. Ten Big Toes and a Prince’s Nose is her first… Continue reading
Categories: Author Spotlight · Contests
AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Margie Gelbwasser, INCONVENIENT (GIVEAWAY ALERT NOW – 11/08/10)
November 1st, 2010 by Margie Gelbwasser · Email post
· Print
This week, we’re celebrating Margie’s debut! Margie Gelbwasser was born in the former Soviet Union but spent most of her life in New Jersey. She has written for a variety of magazines, including Ladies' Home Journal, SELF, Girls' Life, and New Jersey Monthly. Her essays about growing up Russian and Jewish have appeared in the anthology Waking Up American: Coming of Age Biculturally, as well as in Lilith Magazine, and SMITH Magazine. Her debut YA novel, INCONVENIENT, tackles Russian-Jewish themes too. When not writing or teaching writing workshops, Margie loves being a mom to her three year old boy, hiking… Continue reading
Categories: Author Spotlight · Contests
AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: B. A. Binns, PULL (GIVEAWAY ALERT NOW – 11/03/10)
October 27th, 2010 by Barbara A. Binns · Email post
· Print
This week, we’re celebrating Barbara’s debut! B. A. Binns is the pseudonym of Barbara Binns, a retired Information Technology expert who finds writing an exercise in self discipline, and the perfect follow-up to her life as an adoptive parent and cancer survivor. She is a member of the American Library Association (ALA), Romance Writers of America (RWA), the Chicago Writers Association, the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) and the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). She writes to attract and inspire both male and female readers with stories of “real boys growing into real men…and the people… Continue reading
Categories: Author Spotlight · Contests
AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Cindy Callaghan, JUST ADD MAGIC (GIVEAWAY ALERT NOW – 10/26/10)
October 19th, 2010 by Cindy Callaghan · Email post
· Print
This week, we’re celebrating Cindy’s debut! JUST ADD MAGIC is Cindy Callaghan’s first novel. It was inspired in part by her own three children. In her day job she does marketing and PR in the pharmaceutical industry. She has two other MG projects in progress.
Here’s a little bit about JUST ADD MAGIC (Simon & Schuster’s Aladdin M!x).
When Kelly Quinn and her two BFFs discover a dusty old cookbook while cleaning out her attic, the girls decide to try a few of the mysterious recipes inside. But the ancient book bears an eerie warning, and it doesn't take… Continue reading
Categories: Author Spotlight · Contests
AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Jennifer A. Nielsen, ELLIOT AND THE GOBLIN WAR (GIVEAWAY ALERT NOW – 10/19/10)
October 12th, 2010 by Jennifer A. Nielsen · Email post
· Print
This week, we’re celebrating Jennifer’s debut! Jennifer lives at the base of a very tall mountain in Northern Utah with her husband, three children, and a naughty puppy. She loves the smell of rainy days, hot chocolate, and old books, preferably all at once. She is a former speech teacher, theater director, and enjoyed a brief but disastrous career as a door-to-door pollster. In her spare time, Jennifer tends to panic, wondering what she has forgotten to do that has allowed her any spare time. Although she has never actually met any Underworld creatures, she did see… Continue reading
Categories: Author Spotlight · Contests
AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Heather Ayris Burnell, BEDTIME MONSTER
September 28th, 2010 by Heather Ayris Burnell · Email post
· Print
This week, we’re celebrating Heather’s debut! Heather Ayris Burnell lives and writes on a secluded mountaintop in Washington State. She’s a full-time mom of three and a part-time librarian at North Central Regional Library where she spends most of her hours shelving books in the children’s section and dreaming up new picture book displays. BEDTIME MONSTER is Heather’s first picture book. She’s already dreamed up a great monster/bedtime book display and can’t wait to add her book to it!
Here’s a little bit about BEDTIME MONSTER (Raven Tree Press).
When Paul’s mom tells him it’s time for bed, he doesn’t want to… Continue reading
Categories: Author Spotlight
AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Judith Graves, UNDER MY SKIN (GIVEAWAY ALERT NOW – 09/28/10)
September 21st, 2010 by Judith Graves · Email post
· Print
This week, we’re celebrating Judith’s debut! Residing in a northern Alberta community, similar to the fictional town of Redgrave, where UNDER MY SKIN is set – Judith unhappily endures snow in the winter, and runs away from bees in the summer. A firm believer that Canadian teen fiction can be sexy, action packed and snarky – Judith writes paranormal stories with attitude.
Here’s a little bit about UNDER MY SKIN (Leap Books).
All her parents wanted was for Eryn to live a normal life…
Redgrave, Alberta had its share of monsters before Eryn moved to town. Mauled pets, missing children. The Delacroix… Continue reading
Categories: Author Spotlight · Contests
AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Lisa Desrochers, PERSONAL DEMONS (GIVEAWAY ALERT NOW – 09/21/10)
September 14th, 2010 by Lisa Desrochers · Email post
· Print
This week, we’re celebrating Lisa’s debut! Lisa Desrochers lives in central California with her husband and two very busy daughters. There is never a time that she can be found without a book in her hand, and she adores stories that take her to new places, and then take her by surprise. Growing up all over the United States has inspired wanderlust and she loves travel, which works out well, as she lectures internationally on a variety of health care topics. She has a Doctorate in Physical Therapy and maintains a full time practice. PERSONAL DEMONS is her first novel.
Visit… Continue reading
Categories: Author Spotlight · Contests
AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Denise Jaden, LOSING FAITH (GIVEAWAY ALERT NOW – 09/14/10)
September 7th, 2010 by Denise Jaden · Email post
· Print
This week, we’re celebrating Denise’s debut! Denise Jaden is, or has been, everything from a professional Polynesian dancer and fitness competitor to a mushroom farmer and church secretary. Most of her time now is spent homeschooling or playing with her six year old son or in front of her computer writing.
Denise's writing has appeared in Mississippi Crow Magazine (Spring, 2008), The Greensilk Journal (Fall 2007), and The Tidepool Fiction Ezine (Spring, 2009). Her first novel for teens, LOSING FAITH, is forthcoming from Simon Pulse in September 2010.
She lives just outside Vancouver, Canada with her husband and son.
Here’s a little bit… Continue reading
Categories: Author Spotlight · Contests
AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Jacqueline Houtman, THE REINVENTION OF EDISON THOMAS (GIVEAWAY ALERT NOW – 09/07/10)
August 31st, 2010 by Jacqueline Houtman · Email post
· Print
This week, we’re celebrating Jacqueline’s debut! Jacqueline spent way too many years learning to be a scientist (27, if you count kindergarten). The best part of all that school is that some people, especially her parents, now call her Dr. Houtman. In the rare moments she did not spend in the lab, she did theater to feed the rest of her brain. Then she came to her senses and started over as a freelance science writer and editor. She has written for physicians, scientists, and the guy down the street. She is equally comfortable writing for students in Medical School… Continue reading
Categories: Author Spotlight · Contests
AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Inara Scott, DELCROIX ACADEMY: THE CANDIDATES (GIVEAWAY ALERT NOW – 08/31/10)
August 24th, 2010 by Inara Scott · Email post
· Print
This week, we’re celebrating Inara’s debut! Inara Scott grew up in the winter wonderland of Buffalo, NY. Consequently, she spent much of her childhood complaining about being cold. To spare the world her whining, she fled the cold climate and eventually wound up in the Pacific NW, where the old Doug Fir trees and thick ferns make you think you’ve wandered into a fairy tale. Inara loves to hike, canoe, and play outside. She is addicted to yoga. Despite being a writer, Inara fears deep, intellectual books, loves romance and fantasies, and listens to cheesy, happy music.
Here’s a little bit… Continue reading
Categories: Author Spotlight · Contests
AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Patti Zelch, READY, SET…WAIT! (GIVEAWAY ALERT NOW – 08/17/10)
August 10th, 2010 by Patti R. Zelch · Email post
· Print
This week, we’re celebrating Patti’s debut! One of Patti Zelch’s fondest childhood memories is of her family’s’ weekly visit to her hometown library in East Liverpool, Ohio. That family ritual created a love for books that traveled with her when she and her husband moved to south Florida. There she read to her three children, shared books with the pupils in her elementary school class and used picture books to introduce lessons to her middle school students. After fifteen years of teaching, Patti retired and became a student. She earned her MFA at Spalding University in… Continue reading
Categories: Author Spotlight · Contests
AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Tameka Fryer Brown, AROUND OUR WAY ON NEIGHBORS’ DAY (GIVEAWAY ALERT NOW – 08/10/10)
August 3rd, 2010 by Tameka Fryer Brown · Email post
· Print
This week, we’re celebrating Tameka’s debut! Tameka Fryer Brown has gone from medical supply sales rep, to stay-at-home mom, to children’s book author. She’s worked with children of all ages in various church and volunteer organizations, and as a Teacher’s Assistant at her children’s Montessori school. Around Our Way on Neighbors’ Day is Tameka’s first published picture book.
Here’s a little bit about AROUND OUR WAY ON NEIGHBORS' DAY (Abrams Books for Young Readers).
Neighbors gather on a hot summer day for a joyful block party: Kids play double Dutch; men debate at the barber shop and play chess; mothers and aunts… Continue reading
Categories: Author Spotlight · Contests
AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Bonnie J. Doerr, ISLAND STING (GIVEAWAY ALERT NOW – 06/22/10)
June 15th, 2010 by Bonnie J. Doerr · Email post
· Print
This week, we’re celebrating Bonnie’s debut! Bonnie J. Doerr has been wild about nature from birth. When she was a child Bonnie built huge nests of mowed grass, placed basketball-eggs in them, and became an eagle. She floated, eyes only, above the lake’s surface and became an alligator. She collected weeds, seeds, and flowers to arrange on a makeshift fruit and vegetable stand. Then she designed signs to attract buyers for her harvest. Unfortunately, her scribble was legible only to the squirrels, chipmunks, and birds. When she was old enough to traipse alone in the woods and along the lakeshore… Continue reading
Categories: Author Spotlight · Contests
AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Janet Fox, FAITHFUL (GIVEAWAY ALERT NOW – 06/08/10)
June 1st, 2010 by Janet S. Fox · Email post
· Print
This week, we’re celebrating Janet’s debut! Janet Fox currently lives in College Station, Texas, with her husband and high-school age son. But her heart is in Montana, where the family has a cabin in the mountains not far from Yellowstone. Her work has appeared in Highlights for Children and Spider magazines; her non-fiction middle grade guide, GET ORGANIZED WITHOUT LOSING IT (Free Spirit Publishing, 2006), continues to be a top seller. She will graduate with an MFA in writing for children and young adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts in July 2010, and has been a Regional Advisor for… Continue reading
Categories: Author Spotlight · Contests
AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Kristina McBride, THE TENSION OF OPPOSITES (GIVEAWAY ALERT NOW – 06/01/10)
May 25th, 2010 by Kristina McBride · Email post
· Print
This week, we’re celebrating Kristina’s debut! Kristina McBride, a former high-school English teacher and yearbook advisor, wrote THE TENSION OF OPPOSITES in response to the safe return of a child who was kidnapped while riding his bike to a friend’s house. She lives in Ohio with her husband and two young children. This is her first novel. Visit her online at www.kristinamcbride.com.
Here’s a little bit about THE TENSION OF OPPOSITES (Egmont USA).
Two years ago Noelle disappeared. Two long years of no leads, no word, no body. Since the abduction, Tessa, her best friend, has lived in a state… Continue reading
Categories: Author Spotlight · Contests
AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Adrienne Sylver, HOT DIGGITY DOG: THE HISTORY OF THE HOT DOG (GIVEAWAY ALERT NOW – 05/25/10)
May 18th, 2010 by Adrienne Sylver · Email post
· Print
This week, we’re celebrating Adrienne’s debut! Adrienne Sylver grew up in Ohio, where she rooted for the Cleveland Indians and learned to appreciate a good stadium hot dog. She has a master’s degree in magazine journalism from Ohio University. Like many Buckeyes who dislike shoveling snow, piling on fifteen layers of clothing, and blowing their nose for six months of the year, she escaped after college to the sunshine of Florida. Okay, over the years she’s come to appreciate cooler weather, good hair days thanks to low humidity, and the fact that hurricanes don’t whip across Lake Erie and flatten… Continue reading
Categories: Author Spotlight · Contests
AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Dawn Lairamore, IVY’S EVER AFTER (GIVEAWAY ALERT NOW – 05/22/10)
May 15th, 2010 by Dawn Lairamore · Email post
· Print
This week, we’re celebrating Dawn’s debut! Dawn has always loved fairy tales but thinks you can only take so many sweet, proper princesses and ferocious, fire-breathing dragons. She thought it would be fun to write a fairy tale where the princess and the dragon weren’t what you expected. She can’t embroider or walk with a book balanced on her head, so, much like her character Ivy, she would make a pretty terrible princess.
Here’s a little bit about IVY’S EVER AFTER (Holiday House).
The kingdom of Ardendale has always locked its princesses in a white tower guarded by a dragon. It’s the… Continue reading
Categories: Author Spotlight · Contests
AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Jennifer Cervantes, TORTILLA SUN (GIVEAWAY ALERT NOW – 05/12/10)
May 7th, 2010 by Jen Cervantes · Email post
· Print
This week, we’re celebrating Jennifer's debut! Jennifer discovered writing later in life. But she loved getting lost in books from the moment she could read. When she gets writer’s block she likes to jump on the trampoline with her youngest daughter, but sometimes they just lie on their backs and watch the clouds inch by.
Here’s a little bit about TORTILLA SUN (Chronicle)
Tortilla Sun is a tender, magical story about 12 year old Izzy Roybal who is sent to spend the summer in her nana’s New Mexico village where she is soon caught up in the foreign world of her own culture, from patron saints and soulful… Continue reading
Categories: Author Spotlight
AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Holly Schindler, A BLUE SO DARK (GIVEAWAY ALERT NOW – 05/08/10)
May 1st, 2010 by Holly Schindler · Email post
· Print
This week, we’re celebrating Holly’s debut! After obtaining her M.A. in English in 2001, Holly Schindler decided to nix the idea of a full-time job in order to pursue a writing career (her lifelong dream). After wearing out half a dozen or so keyboards drafting too many manuscripts to count, she was thrilled to sell her debut YA novel to Flux! A BLUE SO DARK will release May 1, 2010. A second YA (PLAYING HURT) will follow in 2011, as will a romantic comedy for adults.
Here’s a little bit about A BLUE SO DARK (Flux).
Fifteen-year-old Aura Ambrose has been hiding… Continue reading
Categories: Author Spotlight · Contests · Events
AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Leah Cypess, MISTWOOD (GIVEAWAY ALERT NOW – 05/04/10)
April 27th, 2010 by Leah Cypess · Email post
· Print
This week, we’re celebrating Leah’s debut! Leah Cypess wrote her first story in first grade. The narrator was an ice-cream cone in the process of being eaten. In fourth grade, she wrote her first novel. It was about a girl who was shipwrecked on a desert island with her faithful and heroic dog (a rip-off of both The Black Stallion and all the Lassie movies, very impressive).
She then took a few detours on her way to becoming a full-time writer, the most time-consuming of which involved law school. But she is now finished with all that and is incredibly… Continue reading
Categories: Author Spotlight · Contests
AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Jennifer R. Hubbard, THE SECRET YEAR (GIVEAWAY ALERT NOW – 04/27/10)
April 20th, 2010 by writerjenn · Email post
· Print
This week, we’re celebrating Jennifer R. Hubbard’s debut! Jennifer R. Hubbard lives and writes near Philadelphia. She is a night person who believes that mornings were meant to be slept through, a chocolate lover, and a hiker. She has been writing ever since the age of six, when she used to write and illustrate her own picture books. She will read almost anything, but prefers to write short stories and young-adult novels. THE SECRET YEAR is her first published novel. She blogs at http://writerjenn.livejournal.com.
Here’s a little bit about THE SECRET YEAR (Viking).
Seventeen-year-old Colt… Continue reading
Categories: Author Spotlight · Contests
AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Christine Brodien-Jones, THE OWL KEEPER (GIVEAWAY ALERT NOW – 04/20/10)
April 13th, 2010 by Christine Brodien-Jones · Email post
· Print
This week, we’re celebrating Christine Brodien-Jones’ debut! Christine Brodien-Jones grew up in LeRoy, New York, and is a graduate of Emerson College, Boston. She spent much of her childhood inventing fantastic stories and sitting in trees reading books. A former teacher and editor, Christine lives in a creaky house near the sea with her husband Peter. They divide their time between Gloucester, Massachusetts, Buenos Aires and an old country house in Maine. Random House/Delacorte Press will publish her post-apocalyptic novel THE OWL KEEPER in April 2010. Her next novel is a fantasy adventure set in Morocco. Christine is represented by… Continue reading
Categories: Author Spotlight · Contests
AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Rhonda Hayter, THE WITCHY WORRIES OF ABBIE ADAMS (GIVEAWAY ALERT NOW – 04/14/10)
April 7th, 2010 by Rhonda Hayter · Email post
· Print
This week, we’re celebrating Rhonda Hayter’s debut! Rhonda Hayter was born in St. Jean, Quebec. She was an actress for some time, appearing in plays on tour and in New York and Los Angeles. Now, she works as a story analyst for a famous movie producer. When she and her husband found themselves with two little boys, one of whom morphed into a werewolf one day, The Witchy Worries of Abbie Adams was born. Rhonda now lives in Los Angeles with her family. This is her first book.
Here’s a little bit about THE WITCHY WORRIES OF ABBIE ADAMS… Continue reading
Categories: Author Spotlight · Contests
AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Alexandra Diaz, OF ALL THE STUPID THINGS (GIVEAWAY ALERT NOW – 04/06/10)
March 30th, 2010 by Alexandra Diaz · Email post
· Print
This week, we’re celebrating Alexandra Diaz’s debut! Alexandra Diaz is a Cuban-American spending her time between Bath, England, Santa Fe, NM, and the rest of the world. She has an MA in Writing for Young People and has led various workshops since she was fourteen. As a result of being homeschooled for most of high school, she’s fascinated by teenage school life and the drama that occurs in those quarters. One of the reasons she writes is to experience life in someone else's shoes. She is a "jenny of all trades" having worked as a nanny, teacher, film extra, tour… Continue reading
Categories: Author Spotlight · Contests
AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Ryan Potter, EXIT STRATEGY (GIVEAWAY ALERT NOW – 03/30/10)
March 23rd, 2010 by Ryan Potter · Email post
· Print
This week, we’re celebrating Ryan Potter’s debut! After earning two degrees in American history, Ryan Potter realized he wanted to write about things he made up rather than analyze things that had already happened. He wrote his first short story in 2003 and was lucky enough to get it published in a well-respected online literary journal. He's had several stories published both online and in print since.
Here’s a little bit about EXIT STRATEGY (Flux).
Looming above Zach Ramsey's hometown are the smokestacks of the truck assembly plant, the greasy lifeblood of this Detroit suburb. Surrounded by drunks, broken marriages, and factory… Continue reading
Categories: Author Spotlight · Contests
AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Carol Larese Millward, STAR IN THE MIDDLE (GIVEAWAY ALERT NOW – 03/16/10)
March 9th, 2010 by Carol Larese Millward · Email post
· Print
This week, we’re celebrating Carol Larese Millward’s debut! Carol Larese Millward is a writer who for several years was a family advocate and parent educator working with teen parents through Family Support and Education Centers, and made in-home visits to teach life skills and best parenting practices to young parents. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and lives in Maryland with her husband and two cats. STAR IN THE MIDDLE is her debut novel.
Here’s a little bit about STAR IN THE MIDDLE (WestSide Books).
At sixteen, Star Peters is determined to keep her baby… Continue reading
Categories: Author Spotlight · Contests
AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Debra Sartell, TIME FOR BED, BABY TED (GIVEAWAY ALERT NOW – 03/09/10)
March 2nd, 2010 by Debra Sartell · Email post
· Print
This week, we’re celebrating Debra Sartell’s debut! Debra Sartell booked stand-up comedy before she began writing children’s picture books. After her son, Cole, was born she found inspiration for her work and many comical moments in parenting through the camera lens. Says Debra, “TIME FOR BED, BABY TED grew out of one of those snapshot moments of parenting exhaustion when Cole could’ve tucked my husband into bed!” She lives in California with her husband Darrell and their two lively children, Cole and Stella.
Here’s a little bit about TIME FOR BED, BABY TED (Holiday House).
It’s time for bed… Continue reading
Categories: Author Spotlight · Contests
AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Amy Brecount White, FORGET-HER-NOTS (GIVEAWAY ALERT NOW – 03/09/10)
March 2nd, 2010 by Amy Brecount White · Email post
· Print
This week, we’re celebrating Amy Brecount White’s debut! From ages 0 to 9, Amy moved every two or three years all over the country, which she likes to think made her adaptable and open to new places, people, and ideas. She lived in San Francisco, Virginia Beach, Albuquerque, N.M., Lexington, K.Y., and Dayton, Ohio. The library was one of the first places she found anywhere she arrived. She’s always found a home in books.
It really never occurred to her that she could be a writer until she was in college. She always thought she’d do something more “practical,” with a… Continue reading
Categories: Author Spotlight · Contests
AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Suzanne Morgan Williams, BULL RIDER (GIVEAWAY ALERT NOW – 03/03/10)
February 24th, 2010 by Suzanne Morgan Williams · Email post
· Print
This week, we’re celebrating Suzanne Morgan Williams' debut! Suzanne Morgan Williams is the author of Bull Rider, her first novel, and ten nonfiction books for children including Made in China, Ideas and Inventions from Ancient China (Pacific View Press, 1997), The Inuit, (Franklin Watts, 2003) and the award winning Pinatas and Smiling Skeletions (Harris and Williams, Pacific View Press, 1999.) Suzanne is a Nevada Writer in Residence, has won grants from Sierra Arts Foundation and Nevada Arts Council and is Co-Regional Advisor of Nevada Region of Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. Her research and speaking regularly takes her… Continue reading
Categories: Author Spotlight · Contests
AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Angela Morrison, TAKEN BY STORM (GIVEAWAY ALERT NOW – 02/09/10)
February 2nd, 2010 by Angela Morrison · Email post
· Print
This week, we’re celebrating Angela Morrison’s debut! Angela Morrison grew up on the wheat farm in Washington where TAKEN BY STORM is set. She graduated from Brigham Young University and holds a Master’s of Fine Arts in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College. She and her husband recently returned to Arizona after eleven years abroad in Canada, Switzerland, and Singapore. They have four children and the most beautiful grandson in existence.
Here’s a little bit about TAKEN BY STORM (Razorbill).
Seventeen-year-old Leesie Hunt has rules: No making out. No sex. And definitely no falling for a non-Mormon. She pours… Continue reading
Categories: Author Spotlight · Contests
AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Jen Nadol, THE MARK
January 19th, 2010 by Jen Nadol · Email post
· Print
This week, we’re celebrating Jen Nadol’s debut! Jen Nadol grew up in Reading, PA, the hometown of John Updike, Taylor Swift and the now-defunct Monopoly railroad. She has a BA in literature from American University and has lived in Washington DC, Boston, NYC and, now resides in Westchester County, NY with her husband and three young sons.
Here’s a little bit about THE MARK (Bloomsbury).
Cassandra Renfield has always seen the mark – a glow around certain people reminiscent of candlelight. The one time she pointed it out, it was dismissed as a trick of the light. Cassie starts… Continue reading
Categories: Author Spotlight
AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Jean Reagan, ALWAYS MY BROTHER (GIVEAWAY ALERT NOW – 12/22/09)
December 15th, 2009 by Jean Reagan · Email post
· Print
This week, we’re celebrating Jean Reagan's debut! Jean Reagan lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, with her husband, Peter, and daughter, Jane. Their beloved son and brother, John, died in 2005. Born in Alabama, Jean spent most of her childhood in Japan. Since graduating from Earlham College, she has worked as a community organizer, a union activist, and a writer. She cherishes her years as a full-time mother when she also worked at her children's public school, the Open Classroom. In the summers, her family lives in a tiny, remote cabin in Grand Teton National Park where she and Peter… Continue reading
Categories: Author Spotlight · Contests
AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Pam Bachorz, CANDOR (GIVEAWAY ALERT NOW – 12/22/09)
December 15th, 2009 by Pam Bachorz · Email post
· Print
This week, we’re celebrating Pam Bachorz’s debut! Pam Bachorz grew up in a small town in the Adirondack foothills, where she participated in every possible performance group and assiduously avoided any threat of athletic activity, unless it involved wearing sequined headpieces and treading water. With a little persuasion she will belt out tunes from "The Music Man" and "The Fantasticks", but she knows better than to play cello in public anymore. Pam attended college in Boston and finally decided she was finished after earning four degrees: a BS in Journalism, a BA in Environmental Science, a Masters in Library Science… Continue reading
Categories: Author Spotlight · Contests
AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Debbie Rigaud, PERFECT SHOT (GIVEAWAY ALERT NOW – 12/15/09)
December 8th, 2009 by Debbie Rigaud · Email post
· Print
This week, we’re celebrating Debbie Rigaud’s debut! Debbie Rigaud began her writing career covering news and entertainment for commercial magazines. She’s interviewed celebs, politicians, social figures and inspiring “real” girls. Her articles have appeared in Seventeen, CosmoGIRL!, Twist and J-14; her novella “Double Act,” is featured in the anthology HALLWAY DIARIES (Kimani Tru /September 2007). PERFECT SHOT (Simon Pulse) is her debut novel.
Here’s a little bit about PERFECT SHOT (Simon Pulse).
Fifteen-year-old London Abrams is all about spiking volleyballs, not wearing spike heels. But in one crush-tasic moment, she signs up for a modeling contest as an excuse to meet the… Continue reading
Categories: Author Spotlight · Contests
AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Megan Crewe, GIVE UP THE GHOST (GIVEAWAY ALERT NOW – 12/15/09)
December 8th, 2009 by Megan Crewe · Email post
· Print
This week, we’re celebrating Megan Crewe's debut! Megan Crewe lives in Toronto, Canada, where she tutors children and teens with special needs. She has yet to make friends with a ghost, though she welcomes the opportunity. GIVE UP THE GHOST is her first novel.
Here’s a little bit about GIVE UP THE GHOST (Henry Holt Books for Young Readers).
Cass McKenna much prefers the company of ghosts over "breathers." Ghosts are uncomplicated and dependable, and they know the dirt on everybody... and Cass loves dirt. She's on a mission to expose the dirty secrets of the poseurs in her school.
But when the… Continue reading
Categories: Author Spotlight · Contests
AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Hannah Moskowitz, BREAK (GIVEAWAY ALERT NOW – 12/08/09)
December 1st, 2009 by Hannah Moskowitz · Email post
· Print
This week, we’re celebrating Hannah Moskowitz’s debut! Hannah Moskowitz is an eighteen-year-old writer slumming around Washington D.C. She likes crème brulee, tattoos, and playing dress-up. She has never broken a bone.
Here’s a little bit about BREAK (Simon Pulse).
Jonah is on a mission to break every bone in his body. Everyone knows that broken bones grow back stronger than they were before. And Jonah wants to be stronger—needs to be stronger, because his family is falling apart, what with his bickering parents, his allergic-to-everything brother, and the screaming new baby. Maybe if he breaks and heals enough times, he’ll show his… Continue reading
Categories: Author Spotlight · Contests
AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: C.J. Omololu, DIRTY LITTLE SECRETS (GIVEAWAY ALERT NOW – 12/08/09)
December 1st, 2009 by Cynthia Jaynes Omololu · Email post
· Print
This week, we’re celebrating C.J. Omololu’s debut! Cynthia Jaynes Omololu majored in English at U.C. Santa Barbara because she liked to read, not because she liked to write. In fact, for years all of her journals ended on or about January 21st because writing about her life was well…boring. After her kids were born, she discovered that she did like to write about the lives of fictional people, and that the voices in her head often have interesting things to say.
Cynthia lives in Northern California with her Nigerian husband (hence the vowel-filled last name) and two sons.
Here’s a little bit… Continue reading
Categories: Author Spotlight · Contests
AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: S. Terrell French, OPERATION REDWOOD (GIVEAWAY ALERT NOW – 11/24/09)
November 17th, 2009 by S. Terrell French · Email post
· Print
This week, we’re celebrating S. Terrell’s debut! As a child, Susannah Terrell French loved to read and write and once won $100 in a Harvard fiction competition. After graduating from college, however, she switched gears, moving to California and working for an environmental organization. She went on to Berkeley Law, spent a summer as a Forest Service volunteer in Alaska, then took a job at a public interest law firm. She also spent hours reading to her three children. Eventually, she decided to bring together her interest in children’s books, writing, and the environment by writing… Continue reading
Categories: Author Spotlight · Contests
AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: LISA MANTCHEV, EYES LIKE STARS (GIVEAWAY ALERT NOW – 11/24/09)
November 17th, 2009 by Lisa Mantchev · Email post
· Print
This week, we’re celebrating Lisa Mantchev’s debut! Lisa Mantchev wrote her first play in the fourth grade, and has been involved in the theater ever since. She has published numerous short stories, but Eyes Like Stars is her first novel. She lives with her husband, daughter, and four hairy miscreant dogs on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington state.
Here’s a little bit about EYES LIKE STARS (Feiwel & Friends).
All her world’s a stage.
Beatrice Shakespeare Smith is not an actress, yet she lives in a theater.
She’s not an orphan, but she has no parents.
She knows every part, but she has no lines… Continue reading
Categories: Author Spotlight · Contests
Author Spotlight: Sydney Salter, JUNGLE CROSSING (Giveaway Alert Now – 11/17/09)
November 10th, 2009 by Sydney Salter · Email post
· Print
This week, we’re celebrating Sydney Salter’s debut! Sydney Salter’s fascination with Mayan culture started when she was six years old and climbed down a steep, dimly lit stone staircase to the elaborately carved tomb of King Pacal who had once ruled Palenque. Visiting Mayan ruins, walking through fragrant Mexican marketplaces, watching women wash clothes in a river, and chasing lizards in the jungle ignited the spark in Sydney’s imagination that led to writing JUNGLE CROSSING. Sydney now lives in Utah with her husband, two daughters, two cats, two dogs, and pair of tortoises. She loves reading, writing, cooking, and traveling—especially… Continue reading
Categories: Author Spotlight · Contests
Author Spotlight: J.A. Yang, EXCLUSIVELY CHLOE (Giveaway Alert Now – 11/17/09)
November 10th, 2009 by J.A. Yang · Email post
· Print
This week, we’re celebrating J.A. Yang’s debut! J.A. Yang has slummed it in the valley with the Wakefield twins; slumber partied with Huey, Dewey and Louie; joined Krakow in stalking Angela; and climbed every mountain with the Von Trapps. Originally from San Diego, he's lived and traveled the world (okay, not all of it) in pursuit of that most elusive of targets -- inspiration. He's authored and published a book, written for online and offline publications, and maintained a variety of popular blogs on subjects ranging from movies and technology to personal stories and amateur musings. He's just wrapped up… Continue reading
Categories: Author Spotlight · Contests
Author Spotlight: Lara Zielin, DONUT DAYS (Giveaway Alert Now – 11/10/09)
November 3rd, 2009 by Lara Zielin · Email post
· Print
This week, we’re celebrating Lara Zielin’s debut! Lara Zielin lives in Ypsilanti, Michigan, with her husband Rob, her ever-loving dog, Amos, and her personality-challenged kitty, Pancake. DONUT DAYS is her first novel.
Here’s a little bit about DONUT DAYS (Putnam).
Emma has a lot going on. Her best friend’s not speaking to her, a boy she’s known all her life is suddenly smokin’ hot and in love with her, and oh yes, her evangelical minister parents may lose their church, especially if her mother keeps giving sermons saying Adam was a hermaphrodite.
But this weekend Emma’s only focused on Crispy Dream, a hot… Continue reading
Categories: Author Spotlight · Contests
Author Spotlight: Lauren Bjorkman, MY INVENTED LIFE (Giveaway Alert Now – 11/10/09)
November 3rd, 2009 by Lauren Bjorkman · Email post
· Print
This week, we’re celebrating Lauren Bjorkman’s debut! Lauren Bjorkman grew up on a sailboat, sharing the tiny forecastle with her sister and the sail bags. She likes funny things, chocolate, and playing with words. She lives in Taos, New Mexico, with her husband and two sons.
Here’s a little bit about MY INVENTED LIFE (Henry Holt).
MY INVENTED LIFE is a comedy of errors with ambiguous sexuality, mistaken identities, skate gods and theater geeks, and true love, of course.
If you had to give your book a movie rating: G through Rated R, which one would you give and why?
PG to PG13 for… Continue reading
Categories: Author Spotlight · Contests
Author Spotlight: Susan Fine, INITIATION (Giveaway Alert Now – 11/03/09)
October 27th, 2009 by Susan Fine · Email post
· Print
This week, we’re celebrating Susan Fine’s debut! After many years in New York City, Susan Fine said goodbye to Zabar's and Gray's Papaya in search of an affordable apartment. She, her husband, their two boys, and 10,000 pieces of Lego landed in Chicago, where they love everything except the weather. A former English teacher, Susan can still hear a me/I error from a mile away. For assistance with sorting out the me/I conundrum, check out pages 110-113 in her first book Zen in the Art of the SAT. Initiation is her first YA novel, and she is currently at work… Continue reading
Categories: Author Spotlight · Contests
Author Spotlight: Beth Ann Bauman, ROSIE AND SKATE (Giveaway Alert Now – 11/03/09)
October 27th, 2009 by Beth · Email post
· Print
This week, we’re celebrating Beth Ann Bauman’s debut! Beth Ann Bauman is the author of a short story collection for adults, Beautiful Girls, and a recipient of a New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship. Beth teaches fiction writing at NYU, The West Side YMCA’s Writer’s Voice, and online at UCLA. Growing up, she spent summers on the Jersey shore, and she now lives in New York City.
Here’s a little bit about ROSIE AND SKATE (Wendy Lamb Books, Random House).
It's off-season at the Jersey shore, when the boardwalk belongs to the locals. Rosie is 15 and her sister Skate is… Continue reading
Categories: Author Spotlight · Contests
Author Spotlight: Donna St. Cyr, THE SECRETS OF THE CHEESE SYNDICATE (Giveaway Alert Now – 10/27/09)
October 20th, 2009 by Donna St. Cyr · Email post
· Print
This week, we’re celebrating Donna St. Cyr's debut! Born and raised in south Louisiana, Donna and her husband returned to Baton Rouge after briefly living in Maryland. Their household now includes three children and two devoted Labradors.
After receiving a BS in zoology from LSU, Donna taught high school physics, chemistry and biology before returning to graduate school for a master degree in library and information science. She then worked in school libraries in the Baton Rouge area for over fifteen years, emphasizing her passion for information literacy and teaching children to be effective, lifelong learners. When she’s not spending time… Continue reading
Categories: Author Spotlight · Contests
Author Spotlight: Danielle Joseph, SHRINKING VIOLET (Giveaway Alert Now – 10/20/09)
October 13th, 2009 by Danielle Joseph · Email post
· Print
This week, we’re celebrating Danielle Joseph’s debut! Danielle Joseph was a college DJ for five years on the Gyroscope, a world music show. She also interned at several top Boston radio stations while earning her BFA in Creative Writing and MA in Marketing Communications and Advertising from Emerson College. She has taught Creative Writing to middle school students and English to adults.
Originally from Cape Town, South Africa, Danielle now lives in Miami, Florida with her husband and children. Her debut YA novel, SHRINKING VIOLET, will be published by MTV/Pocket Books on May, 5 2009 and her second novel, Indigo Blues… Continue reading
Categories: Author Spotlight · Contests
Author Spotlight: Ann Gonzalez, RUNNING FOR MY LIFE
October 13th, 2009 by Ann Gonzalez · Email post
· Print
This week, we’re celebrating Ann Gonzalez’s debut! After writing RUNNING FOR MY LIFE during the 30 days of National Novel Writing Month (Nanowrimo) 2007, Ann Gonzalez realized she is a nano-novelist. Stories she writes in thirty days have more heart than ones she labors over. Ann holds an MFA in Creative Writing from the Northwest Institute of Literary Arts, and she teaches and supports writers as an instructor at North Seattle Community College and via an on-going online course, Writing for Teens and Tweens.
Here’s a little bit about RUNNING FOR MY LIFE (WestSide Books).
RUNNING FOR MY LIFE is the powerful… Continue reading
Categories: Author Spotlight
Author Spotlight: Susan VanHecke, ROCK ‘N’ ROLL SOLDIER: A MEMOIR (Giveaway Alert Now – 10/14/09)
October 7th, 2009 by Susan VanHecke · Email post
· Print
This week, we’re celebrating Susan VanHecke’s debut! Susan VanHecke writes books for children and adults. Her titles for young readers include AN APPLE PIE FOR DINNER (Marshall Cavendish, 20009) and STRIKE UP THE BAND (Boyds Mills, 2010), and, for adults, RACE WITH THE DEVIL: GENE VINCENT'S LIFE IN THE FAST LANE (St. Martin's Press, 2000), adapted into an award-winning screenplay, and ROADWORK: ROCK & ROLL FROM THE INSIDE OUT (Hal Leonard, 2007/Omnibus UK, 2009) with photographer Tom Wright, foreword by Pete Townshend. Of ROADWORK, Barnes & Noble Booksellers CEO Steve Riggio said it's "probably the best book on… Continue reading
Categories: Author Spotlight · Contests
Author Spotlight: Kristina Springer, THE ESPRESSOLOGIST (Giveaway Alert Now – 10/09/09)
October 2nd, 2009 by Kristina Springer · Email post
· Print
This week, we’re celebrating Kristina Springer’s debut! Kristina Springer has a Bachelor of Arts in English Education from Illinois State University and a Master of Arts in Writing from DePaul University. Her first novel, THE ESPRESSOLOGIST, will be published by Farrar, Straus, and Giroux on October 27, 2009. Her second novel, MY FAKE BOYFRIEND IS BETTER THAN YOURS, also from FSG, will be published in the fall of 2010. She lives in a suburb of Chicago, IL with her husband Athens and their four small children Teegan, Maya, London, and Gavin.
Here’s a little bit about THE ESPRESSOLOGIST (Farrar, Straus, and… Continue reading
Categories: Author Spotlight · Contests
ROSIE AND SKATE by Beth Ann Bauman
September 4th, 2009 by Beth · Email post
· Print
- Publication Season/Year: Fall 2009
- Publisher: Wendy Lamb Books, Random House
- Release Date: August 11, 2009
- ISBN (hardcover): 978-0-385-73735-7
- ISBN (paperback): TBD
Categories: 2009 Fall · Author Spotlight · Bauman, Beth Ann · Contemporary · Debut · Events · Family · Interviews · Local · National · New York · Random House · Rated PG-13 · Romance · Stand-alone · Young Adult
Author Spotlight: Jennifer Jabaley, LIPSTICK APOLOGY (Giveaway Alert Now – 08/31/09)
August 24th, 2009 by Jennifer Jabaley · Email post
· Print
This week, we’re celebrating Jennifer Jabaley’s debut! An optometrist and mother of two, Jennifer Jabaley began writing her first novel after a phone call from her sister sparked an idea for a story that lingered in her mind and stirred her creative juices. She lives in Blue Ridge, Georgia and is currently at work on her second book.
Here’s a little bit about LIPSTICK APOLOGY (Razorbill).
Four little words written in lipstick mean Emily must say goodbye to everything she knows. Emily Carson has always been a good girl. So when she throws a party the night her parents… Continue reading
Categories: Author Spotlight · Contests
Author Spotlight: Daniel Kraus, THE MONSTER VARIATIONS (Giveaway Alert Now – 08/24/09)
August 17th, 2009 by Daniel Kraus · Email post
· Print
This week, we’re celebrating Daniel Kraus’s debut! Daniel Kraus is the director of six feature films and the author of two novels. He lives with his wife in Chicago.
Here’s a little bit about THE MONSTER VARIATIONS (Delacorte Press).
Someone is killing boys in a small town. The murder weapon is a truck, and the only protection is a curfew enacted to keep kids off the streets. But it's summer—and that alone is worth the risk of staying out late for James, Willie, and Reggie.
Willie, who lost his arm in the first hit-and-run attack, finds it hard to keep up with his… Continue reading
Categories: Author Spotlight · Contests
Author Spotlight: Michelle Zink, PROPHECY OF THE SISTERS (Giveaway Alert Now – 08/08/09)
August 1st, 2009 by Michelle Zink · Email post
· Print
This week, we’re celebrating Michelle Zink’s debut! Michelle Zink lives in New York and has always been fascinated with ancient myths and legends. Never satisfied with simply reading them, she usually ends up asking, “What if?” Sometimes asking only leads to more questions, but every now and then, when everything falls into place just right, a story is born. Prophecy of the Sisters is one of those stories.
Here’s a little bit about PROPHECY OF THE SISTERS (Little Brown Books for Young Readers).
Sixteen year-old Lia Milthorpe and her twin sister Alice have just become orphans and, as Lia discovers, they have… Continue reading
Categories: Author Spotlight · Contests
Author Spotlight: Sarah Ockler, TWENTY BOY SUMMER (Giveaway Alert: Now – 08/05/09)
July 29th, 2009 by Sarah Ockler · Email post
· Print
This week, we’re celebrating Sarah Ockler’s debut! Sarah Ockler wrote and illustrated her first book at age six—an adaptation of Steven Spielberg's E.T. Still recovering from her own adolescence, Sarah now writes for young adults. After several years of wandering between New York City and Denver, she and her husband Alex now live in Upstate New York with lots of books and an ever-expanding collection of sea glass. TWENTY BOY SUMMER is Sarah's first novel. Visit her online at http://www.sarahockler.com.
Here’s a little bit about TWENTY BOY SUMMER (Little, Brown).
While on vacation in California, sixteen-year-old best girlfriends Anna and… Continue reading
Categories: Author Spotlight · Contests
Faves on a Friday: From Page To Screen, Part II
July 10th, 2009 by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich · Email post
· Print
Congratulations, Blair -- you're our grand prize winner!
Last month, Matt de la Pena and Filmmaker Brin Hill allowed us a glimpse into the process of taking de la Pena's BALL DON'T LIE from page to screen. In Part 2, we find out what the collaborators think makes an adaptation great, how this filmmaking process has changed they way they think and work, and what this talented pair want to give YOU -- so read on, and enjoy!
What's going on with BDL now? Now that the film has been made -- what's worked, what's been… Continue reading
Categories: 0Content · Connect · Contests · Faves on a Friday · Interviews · Perkovich, Olugbemisola Rhuday · Young Adult
Faves on a Friday: From Page to Screen
June 5th, 2009 by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich · Email post
· Print
"don’t be too precious with the book – the book is one piece of art and the film should be seen as another piece of art merely trying to tell the same story in a completely new way. " Continue reading
Categories: 0Content · Age Group · Contests · Faves on a Friday · Interviews · Perkovich, Olugbemisola Rhuday · Young Adult
Author Spotlight: Leigh Brescia, ONE WISH (Giveaway Alert: Now – 06/03/09)
May 27th, 2009 by Leigh Brescia · Email post
· Print
This week, we’re celebrating Leigh Brescia’s debut! Leigh grew up in North Carolina, spending most of her days playing in the woods behind her home and imagining she was a princess. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in English Communication from Mount Olive College and her Master’s degree from Fort Hays State University. As an undergraduate, she worked in the Office of Public Affairs, where she wrote press releases and feature articles for the local newspapers and campus magazines. She currently teaches online English composition courses for three universities, including an online “Writing Novels for Young Adults” course for… Continue reading
Categories: Author Spotlight · Contests
Author Spotlight: Charity Tahmaseb & Darcy Vance, THE GEEK GIRL’S GUIDE TO CHEERLEADING (Giveaway Alert: Now – 06/02/09)
May 26th, 2009 by Darcy Vance · Email post
· Print
This week, we’re celebrating Charity Tahmaseb and Darcy Vance’s debut!
Charity Tahmaseb has slung corn on the cob for Green Giant and jumped out of airplanes (but not at the same time). She doesn’t think it's a social stigma to eat alone at a restaurant and read a book. Her favorite city is London, but she loves living in Minnesota. She spent twelve years as a Girl Scout and six in the Army; that she wore a green uniform for both may not be a coincidence. These days, she writes young adult fiction and works as a technical writer for a… Continue reading
Categories: Author Spotlight · Contests
Author Spotlight: Samantha R. Vamos, BEFORE YOU WERE HERE, MI AMOR (Giveaway Alert: Now – 05/22/09)
May 15th, 2009 by Samantha R. Vamos · Email post
· Print
This week, we’re celebrating Samantha R. Vamos’s debut! According to family lore (and, yes, a copy exists), Samantha composed her first children’s story when she was three years old. She dictated the story and her mother typed it. Needless to say, it was a rather short story! Samantha continued to write and “BEFORE YOU WERE HERE, MI AMOR” is her first children’s picture book. Samantha attended Georgetown University Law Center and practiced law in both Washington, D.C. and Chicago. She, her husband, and young son now live in the Seattle, Washington area. Samantha is currently contending with an ice cream-loving… Continue reading
Categories: 2009 Spring · Author Spotlight · Author speaking availability · Bilingual · Book Trailer · Connect · Contests · Debut · Local · National · Picture Book · Rated G · Stand-alone · Topic · Vamos, Samantha · Viking Children's Books · Washington
Author Spotlight: R.J. Anderson, FAERY REBELS: SPELL HUNTER (Giveaway Alert: Now – 05/21/09)
May 14th, 2009 by R.J. Anderson · Email post
· Print
This week, we’re celebrating R.J. Anderson’s debut! R.J. (Rebecca) Anderson was born in Uganda, raised in Canada, and has spent most of her life dreaming of other worlds entirely. She grew up reading fairy tales, mythology, and the writings of Lewis, Tolkien and George MacDonald; now she tries to bring a similar sense of wonder and adventure to the stories she writes for children and young adults. She is an experienced public speaker who enjoys giving dramatic readings, discussing great books, and encouraging fellow writers of all ages.
Here’s a little bit about FAERY REBELS: SPELL HUNTER (HarperCollins Children’s Books).
Youngest and… Continue reading
Categories: Author Spotlight · Contests
Author Spotlight: Cindy Pon, SILVER PHOENIX : BEYOND THE KINGDOM OF XIA (Giveaway Alert: Now – 05/08/09)
May 1st, 2009 by Cindy Pon · Email post
· Print
This week, we’re celebrating Cindy Pon’s debut! Cindy Pon was born in Taipei, Taiwan, and her family immigrated to California in 1980, settling in the suburbs of Los Angeles. She has been writing since she was in elementary school—before she was declared English proficient. She received her Bachelor’s Degree from the University of California, San Diego, and also earned a Master’s Degree from New York University.
A student to Chinese brush painting, she wanted to combine her love of writing with the Chinese culture, and SILVER PHOENIX : BEYOND THE KINGDOM OF XIA (Greenwillow Books/HarperCollins, Spring 2009), was the result. SILVER… Continue reading
Categories: Author Spotlight · Contests
Author Spotlight: Ellen Jensen Abbott, WATERSMEET (Giveaway Alert: Now – 05/04/09)
April 27th, 2009 by Ellen Jensen Abbott · Email post
· Print
This week, we’re celebrating Ellen Jensen Abbott’s debut! Ellen Jensen Abbott grew up in the foothills of New Hampshire's White Mountains—often disappearing for a whole day to build forts, pretend, and read in the fields and forests around her house. She has an undergraduate degree in English from Brown University and a master's in education from Harvard. When she is not dreaming up stories about Seldara, she teaches English at the Westtown School in Pennsylvania. Ellen, her husband, and their two children like to spend time outdoors: camping and hiking in the summer; skiing and snowboarding in the winter. She… Continue reading
Categories: Author Spotlight · Contests
Author Spotlight: Cheryl Renée Herbsman, BREATHING
April 17th, 2009 by Cheryl Renee Herbsman · Email post
· Print
This week, we’re celebrating Cheryl Renée Herbsman’s debut! Cheryl Renée Herbsman received her undergraduate degree from Duke University and her master’s in clinical psychology from the University of California, Berkeley. She lives in Northern California with her husband and two children. BREATHING is her debut novel.
Here’s a little bit about BREATHING (Viking).
What if the guy who took your breath away was the only one who could help you breathe?
Savannah would be happy to spend the summer in her coastal Carolina town lying in a hammock reading her beloved romance novels and working at the library. But then she meets Jackson… Continue reading
Categories: Author Spotlight
Author Spotlight: Deva Fagan, FORTUNE’S FOLLY (Giveaway Alert Now – 04/23/09)
April 16th, 2009 by Deva Fagan · Email post
· Print
This week, we’re celebrating Deva Fagan’s debut! Deva Fagan likes searching for patterns, which is how she explains both her degree in mathematics and the echoes of old fairy tales in her stories. She lives in Maine with her husband and her dog. This is her first book.
Here’s a little bit about FORTUNE’S FOLLY (Henry Holt Books for Young Readers).
Ever since her mother died and her father lost his shoemaking skills, Fortunata has survived by telling fake fortunes. But when she’s tricked into telling a grand fortune for a prince, she is faced with the impossible task of fulfilling her… Continue reading
Categories: Author Spotlight · Contests
Author Spotlight: Michelle Houts, THE BEEF PRINCESS OF PRACTICAL COUNTY (Giveaway Alert Now – 04/22/09)
April 15th, 2009 by Michelle Houts · Email post
· Print
This week, we’re celebrating Michelle Houts’s debut! Michelle Houts lives and plays on a family farm in West Central Ohio. She shares her days with her three children, the famer of her dreams, some cattle, a whole lot of barn cats, a golden retriever, and a goat who believes he’s a golden retriever. She enjoys reading, cooking and hiking anyplace that has hills because West Central Ohio is very flat. An eternal student, Michelle has degrees in special education, early childhood education, and will soon graduate for the last time with a degree in speech-language pathology… Continue reading
Categories: Author Spotlight · Contests
Author Spotlight: Scotti Cohn, ONE WOLF HOWLS
April 14th, 2009 by Scotti Cohn · Email post
· Print
GIVEAWAY RESULTS: CAROL DRURY and LINDA are winners! Winners have been contacted by email to receive their prizes. Thanks to all of you for your comments!
*************************************************
This week, we’re celebrating Scotti Cohn’s debut! Scotti Cohn, author of One Wolf Howls, is a freelance writer and editor who started writing at an early age. In fourth grade, she received her first rejection letter from Walt Disney Studios for a book she and her best friend co-authored. Scotti's short stories have appeared in numerous magazines for young people, and her poems about animals have appeared in Highlights for Children and Zootles magazines.
Scotti is… Continue reading
Categories: Author Spotlight · Contests
Author Spotlight: Margaret Muirhead, MABEL, ONE AND ONLY (Giveaway Alert: Now – 04/20/09)
April 13th, 2009 by Margaret Muirhead · Email post
· Print
This week, we’re celebrating Margaret Muirhead’s debut! Margaret grew up in New Hampshire. At age 5, Margaret became a writer when she took over the task of filling in her own baby book. She had decided that her mother was not doing a good job. Margaret received her bachelor’s from Cornell University and earned a master’s in fine arts in creative writing at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Today, Margaret is a freelance writer and editor. Mabel, One and Only is her first picture book. She lives in Massachusetts, with her husband, Pete, their two kids, Abe and… Continue reading
Categories: Author Spotlight · Contests
Author Spotlight: Mark Fink, STEPPING UP (Giveaway Alert: Now – 04/08/09)
April 1st, 2009 by Administrator · Email post
· Print
This week, we're celebrating Mark Fink's debut! Mark has written and produced for television and has worked for every major network. He wrote comedies including Full House, and Saved by the Bell, and created the NBC Saturday morning series, Hang Time. Two of his published short stories have won awards. He lives near Los Angeles with his wife and two sons, and plays basketball as often as his body allows.
Here's a little bit about STEPPING UP (WestSide Books)
Ernie Dolan is plagued by the curse of average. Nothing about him stands out, except his stutter. He goes off to a competitive… Continue reading
Categories: Author Spotlight · Contests
Author Spotlight: Deborah Lytton, JANE IN BLOOM (Giveaway Now – 03/26/09)
March 19th, 2009 by Deborah Lytton · Email post
· Print
This week, we're celebrating Deborah Lytton's debut JANE IN BLOOM. Deborah grew up in front of the camera as an actress and singer, beginning her career at the age of six. Her screen credits include five years on the hit daytime soap opera Days of our Lives, supporting roles in made for television movies Haywire, The Mae West Story, and The Man in the Santa Claus Suit and guest appearances on The Mod Squad, Family, The Waltons, and The Incredible Hulk. She has also sung on the soundtracks for numerous films, released a self-titled album, and performed background vocals for… Continue reading
Categories: Author Spotlight · Contests
Author Spotlight: Marilyn Taylor McDowell, CAROLINA HARMONY (Giveaway Alert: Now through 03/18/2009)
March 11th, 2009 by Marilyn Taylor McDowell · Email post
· Print
We're celebrating Marilyn Taylor McDowell's debut this week! Marilyn has been bringing children and books together for over 25 years as a librarian, storyteller, teacher, and proprietor of a children's bookshop. She is a past recipient of Connecticut's Tassy Walden Award: New Voices in Children's Literature. She lives on an old farm, grows enough food in her big organic garden to feed her family and help support the local food pantries, and is an avid volunteer in her community. She balances all the sitting and writing with many hikes on the mountain paths just outside her door.
Here's a little bit… Continue reading
Categories: Author Spotlight · Contests
Author Spotlight: Jennifer Kramer, OCEAN HIDE AND SEEK (Giveaway Now – 3/17/09)
March 10th, 2009 by Jennifer Kramer · Email post
· Print
Today, we're celebrating Jennifer Kramer's wonderful debut in nonfiction OCEAN HIDE AND SEEK (Sylvan Dell). Jennifer loves spending time outdoors and believes children make the very best nature guides. She graduated with a BA from Emory University and a JD/MBA from Georgia State University. It was at Emory that Jennifer obtained her NAUI scuba certification. Her first dive trip was to a rock quarry in Alabama, where there were no sea animals. Since then, she has snorkeled and dived off Maui, the Caymans, and the coast of Cozumel. She loves to talk about coming face-to-face with a white tipped… Continue reading
Categories: Author Spotlight · Contests
Author Spotlight: David A. Kelly, BABE RUTH AND THE BASEBALL CURSE (Giveaway Alert: Now – 03/11/09)
March 4th, 2009 by David Kelly · Email post
· Print
Today, we're celebrating *chapter book* author (OUR VERY FIRST for AuthorsNow!) ... David A. Kelly! David has written for many newspapers and magazines, but Babe Ruth and the Baseball Curse is his first book for children. He lives 15 minutes from Fenway Park in Newton, Massachusetts with his wife, two sons, and a dog named Samantha.
Here's a little more about BABE RUTH AND THE BASEBALL CURSE.
BABE RUTH AND THE BASEBALL CURSE is a fast-paced account of Babe Ruth, the Boston Red Sox, and the terrible curse that seemed to follow the Red Sox after they traded their star pitcher to… Continue reading
Categories: Author Spotlight · Contests
Author Spotlight: J.E. MacLeod, WAITING TO SCORE (Giveaway Now-03/04/09)
February 26th, 2009 by Administrator · Email post
· Print
Today, J.E. MacLeod is celebrating her debut! Let's give her a big hand. Just so you know, J.E. lives near the Rocky Mountains and grew up with a hockey-coach father and two brothers who played hockey. Inspiration for the book? I think so ...
A little bit about WAITING TO SCORE.
Zack Chase, new in town, gets a crash course in the dangerous, fast-paced lives of local teen athletes. A good-looking, book-loving hockey star, Zack's also expected to be a womanizing, alcohol-abusing party animal, but it's not who he is. As jealous, obnoxious team captain Mac hounds him, Zack falls for Goth-girl… Continue reading
Categories: Author Spotlight · Contests
Authors Spotlight: Sarah MacLean, THE SEASON
February 12th, 2009 by Sarah MacLean · Email post
· Print
Today we're celebrating Sarah MacLean's release THE SEASON (Scholastic). Sarah's unabashed addiction to historical fiction helped to earn her a degree in European History from Smith College before she moved to New York City to pursue a career in publishing. After receiving a Masters in Education from Harvard University, Sarah returned to New York, where she lives with her husband, their dog, and a ridiculously large collection of romance novels. She is currently working on a series of Regency-set romances to be released in 2010 from Avon/HarperCollins.
About THE SEASON
Seventeen-year-old Lady Alexandra Stafford doesn't fit into the world of Regency London… Continue reading
Categories: Author Spotlight
Author Spotlight: Saundra Mitchell, SHADOWED SUMMER
February 10th, 2009 by Saundra Mitchell · Email post
· Print
Today on Author's Spotlight, we're celebrating Saundra Mitchell's launch day!
Shadowed Summer is OUT!
Here's why you should know more about Saundra.
A screenwriter and author, Saundra Mitchell penned more than 300 screenplays for the Fresh Films and Girls in the Director's Chair short film series. Her short story "Ready to Wear" was nominated for a Pushcart Prize, and Shadowed Summer has been chosen to be a Junior Library Guild selection. In her free time, she enjoys ghost hunting, papermaking, and spending time with her husband and her two children. She lives in Indianapolis.
About SHADOWED SUMMER
Nothing ever happened in Ondine… Continue reading
Categories: Author Spotlight
Author Spotlight: Michael Sussman, OTTO GROWS DOWN (Giveaway now-2/13/09!)
February 6th, 2009 by Michael Sussman · Email post
· Print
Michael Sussman is celebrating the release of his delightful picture book illustrated by THE Scott Magoon.
Here's a little more about Michael.
Michael Sussman is a clinical psychologist, writer, and musician who lives in the Boston area. Michael's son, Oliver, inspired him to start writing for children. OTTO GROWS DOWN is Michael's first picture book, and there are more on the way!
About OTTO GROWS DOWN
What would it be like if time went backwards? One unlucky little boy is about to find out!
Otto has just one birthday wish: that his new baby sister Anna had never been born. And it comes… Continue reading
Categories: Author Spotlight · Contests
Author Spotlight: Kathryn Fitzmaurice, THE YEAR THE SWALLOWS CAME EARLY (Giveaway now-02/12/09!)
February 5th, 2009 by Kathryn Fitzmaurice · Email post
· Print
This week, we have Kathryn Fitzmaurice. Her book just came out yesterday so let's give her a big hand.
A little background about Kathryn
When Kathryn was thirteen years old, her mother sent her to New York City over the summer to visit her grandmother, who was a science fiction author. After seeing how her grandmother could make the characters in her books into whomever she wanted, Kathryn decided that she, too, wanted to become a writer someday. Years later, after teaching elementary school, and taking many classes, she now writes full time and lives with her husband, two sons, and her dog, Holly, in Monarch Beach, California.
Kathryn was born in New York City, but grew up in Scottsdale, Arizona. She holds a Master's Degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Chapman University Continue reading
Categories: Author Spotlight · Contests
Author Spotlight: Jenny Moss, WINNIE’S WAR (Giveaway now-02/11/09!)
February 4th, 2009 by Jenny Moss · Email post
· Print
This week, we have Jenny Moss who is a former NASA engineer. She earned a master's degree in literature and taught writing as an adjunct at University of Houston-Clear Lake. She lives with her two teenagers in Houston, Texas.
Here's a little bit about WINNIE'S WAR.
Set against the backdrop of the Spanish Flu epidemic of 1918, this debut novel follows a young girl named Winnie, who must find a way to save the people she loves most, even if doing so means putting her own life at risk.
If you had to give your book a movie rating: G through Rated… Continue reading
Categories: Author Spotlight · Contests
Connect with Kathryn Fitzmaurice: The Story Behind the Story
February 4th, 2009 by Administrator · Email post
· Print
Like many of my fellow AuthorsNow! authors, I have dreamed of being a real writer ever since I can remember. Well actually, techincally, since I was thirteen. Today, my first middle grade novel, The Year the Swallows Came Early, was released. And here, in this link, is the story behind my novel. The story that waited quietly and patiently in a drawer for 25 years. I couldn't be happier with how this reporter wrote it up. My favorite part: when he listened to me read an inscription my grandmother wrote to me ages ago in a volume of Emily Dickinson poetry which… Continue reading
Categories: Connect · Interviews
Author Spotlight: Stacey Jay, YOU ARE SO UNDEAD TO ME
January 24th, 2009 by Stacey Jay · Email post
· Print
Debut author Stacey Jay is a workaholic with three pen names, four kids, and a decidedly macabre sense of humor. She loves zombies, creepies, crawlies, blood, guts, gore, and of course, romance. "You are So Undead to Me", Stacey's debut paranormal Young Adult Romance featuring Zombie Settler, Megan Berry will be a January 22nd 2009 release from Razorbill books.
About YOU ARE SO UNDEAD TO ME
Megan Berry's social life is so dead. Literally. Fifteen-year-old Megan Berry is a Zombie Settler by birth, which means she's part-time shrink to a bunch of dead people. All Megan wants is to be normal--and… Continue reading
Categories: Author Spotlight
Before You Were Here, Mi Amor by Samantha R. Vamos
November 24th, 2008 by Samantha R. Vamos · Email post
· Print
- Publication Season/Year: Spring 2009
- Publisher: Viking Children's Books
- Release Date: March 19, 2009
- ISBN (hardcover): 978-0-670-06301-7
- ISBN (paperback): TBD
Categories: 2009 Spring · Author Spotlight · Babies · Bilingual · Book Trailer · Connect · Contests · Debut · Events · Expectant Parents · Family · Local · National · Picture Book · Rated G · Stand-alone · Topic · Vamos, Samantha · Viking Children's Books · Washington
