We found 57 results.
AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Carol Larese Millward, STAR IN THE MIDDLE (GIVEAWAY ALERT NOW – 03/16/10)
March 9th, 2010 by Carol Larese Millward · 
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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
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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
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AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Amy Brecount White, FORGET-HER-NOTS (GIVEAWAY ALERT NOW – 03/09/10)
March 2nd, 2010 by Amy Brecount White · Email post
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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
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AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Suzanne Morgan Williams, BULL RIDER (GIVEAWAY ALERT NOW – 03/03/10)
February 24th, 2010 by Suzanne Morgan Williams · Email post
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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
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AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Angela Morrison, TAKEN BY STORM (GIVEAWAY ALERT NOW – 02/09/10)
February 2nd, 2010 by Angela Morrison · Email post
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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
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AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Jen Nadol, THE MARK
January 19th, 2010 by Jen Nadol · Email post
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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
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AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Jean Reagan, ALWAYS MY BROTHER (GIVEAWAY ALERT NOW – 12/22/09)
December 15th, 2009 by Jean Reagan · Email post
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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
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AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Pam Bachorz, CANDOR (GIVEAWAY ALERT NOW – 12/22/09)
December 15th, 2009 by Pam Bachorz · Email post
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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
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AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Debbie Rigaud, PERFECT SHOT (GIVEAWAY ALERT NOW – 12/15/09)
December 8th, 2009 by Debbie Rigaud · Email post
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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
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AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Megan Crewe, GIVE UP THE GHOST (GIVEAWAY ALERT NOW – 12/15/09)
December 8th, 2009 by Megan Crewe · Email post
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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
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AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Hannah Moskowitz, BREAK (GIVEAWAY ALERT NOW – 12/08/09)
December 1st, 2009 by Hannah Moskowitz · Email post
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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
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AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: C.J. Omololu, DIRTY LITTLE SECRETS (GIVEAWAY ALERT NOW – 12/08/09)
December 1st, 2009 by cjomololu · Email post
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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
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AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: S. Terrell French, OPERATION REDWOOD (GIVEAWAY ALERT NOW – 11/24/09)
November 17th, 2009 by S. Terrell French · Email post
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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
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AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: LISA MANTCHEV, EYES LIKE STARS (GIVEAWAY ALERT NOW – 11/24/09)
November 17th, 2009 by Lisa Mantchev · Email post
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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
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Author Spotlight: Sydney Salter, JUNGLE CROSSING (Giveaway Alert Now – 11/17/09)
November 10th, 2009 by Sydney Salter · Email post
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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
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Author Spotlight: J.A. Yang, EXCLUSIVELY CHLOE (Giveaway Alert Now – 11/17/09)
November 10th, 2009 by J.A. Yang · Email post
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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
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Author Spotlight: Lara Zielin, DONUT DAYS (Giveaway Alert Now – 11/10/09)
November 3rd, 2009 by Lara Zielin · Email post
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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
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Author Spotlight: Lauren Bjorkman, MY INVENTED LIFE (Giveaway Alert Now – 11/10/09)
November 3rd, 2009 by Lauren Bjorkman · Email post
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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
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Author Spotlight: Susan Fine, INITIATION (Giveaway Alert Now – 11/03/09)
October 27th, 2009 by Susan Fine · Email post
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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
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Author Spotlight: Beth Ann Bauman, ROSIE AND SKATE (Giveaway Alert Now – 11/03/09)
October 27th, 2009 by Beth · Email post
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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
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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
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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
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Author Spotlight: Danielle Joseph, SHRINKING VIOLET (Giveaway Alert Now – 10/20/09)
October 13th, 2009 by Danielle Joseph · Email post
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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
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Author Spotlight: Ann Gonzalez, RUNNING FOR MY LIFE
October 13th, 2009 by Ann Gonzalez · Email post
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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
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Author Spotlight: Susan VanHecke, ROCK ‘N’ ROLL SOLDIER: A MEMOIR (Giveaway Alert Now – 10/14/09)
October 7th, 2009 by Susan VanHecke · Email post
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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
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Author Spotlight: Kristina Springer, THE ESPRESSOLOGIST (Giveaway Alert Now – 10/09/09)
October 2nd, 2009 by Kristina Springer · Email post
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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
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ROSIE AND SKATE by Beth Ann Bauman
September 4th, 2009 by Beth · Email post
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- 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 · Events · Family · Interviews · Local · National · New York · Random House · Rated PG-13 · Romance · Young Adult
Author Spotlight: Jennifer Jabaley, LIPSTICK APOLOGY (Giveaway Alert Now – 08/31/09)
August 24th, 2009 by Jennifer Jabaley · Email post
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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
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Author Spotlight: Daniel Kraus, THE MONSTER VARIATIONS (Giveaway Alert Now – 08/24/09)
August 17th, 2009 by Daniel Kraus · Email post
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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
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Author Spotlight: Michelle Zink, PROPHECY OF THE SISTERS (Giveaway Alert Now – 08/08/09)
August 1st, 2009 by Michelle Zink · Email post
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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
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Author Spotlight: Sarah Ockler, TWENTY BOY SUMMER (Giveaway Alert: Now – 08/05/09)
July 29th, 2009 by Sarah Ockler · Email post
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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
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Faves on a Friday: From Page To Screen, Part II
July 10th, 2009 by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich · Email post
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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
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"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 · Articles · 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
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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
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Author Spotlight: Charity Tahmaseb & Darcy Vance, THE GEEK GIRL’S GUIDE TO CHEERLEADING (Giveaway Alert: Now – 06/02/09)
May 26th, 2009 by Vance Darcy · Email post
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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
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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
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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 · Local · National · Picture Book · Rated G · 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
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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
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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
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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
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Author Spotlight: Ellen Jensen Abbott, WATERSMEET (Giveaway Alert: Now – 05/04/09)
April 27th, 2009 by Ellen Jensen Abbott · Email post
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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
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Author Spotlight: Cheryl Renée Herbsman, BREATHING
April 17th, 2009 by Cheryl Renee Herbsman · Email post
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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
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Author Spotlight: Deva Fagan, FORTUNE’S FOLLY (Giveaway Alert Now – 04/23/09)
April 16th, 2009 by Deva Fagan · Email post
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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
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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
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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!
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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
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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 Cynthea Liu · Email post
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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 Cynthea Liu · Email post
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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 Cynthea Liu · Email post
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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
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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
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- 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 · Events · Expectant Parents · Family · Local · National · Picture Book · Rated G · Topic · Vamos, Samantha · Viking Children's Books · Washington
