11/16/2009
This past weekend I had my first official book signing through Barnes and Noble. It was in my hometown so I got to see a lot of family and friends. It was great! I have some pics below, and I couldn't help but take one of The Pace sitting on the shelf there. I usually order all my books online, so it was the first time I'd personally seen it inside a bookstore. It was one of those moments you never forget. 

11/7/2009
Hi everyone! There are a couple of updates and things I've been up to. First, I'm putting final touches on The Broken Lake, and I can't tell you how excited I am about this book.
You're going to find so much more than you anticipate!

I have also been up to some interviewing and guest posting. I'm adding the upcoming interview information under the Events column.  You should check out their blogs and follow their reviews if you like what you see!

The guest post I did is already out, so I'll go ahead and post the link below. It's from Window Pane Memoirs Book Reviews. Michelle did an educational themed week over there, and asked me to post about reading, so here it is if you want to check it out. :)
Education Week Posting.

10/19/2009
This past weekend I went to the 2009 Kidlitosphere Conference in Washington DC, and I am still trying to process the experience to put it in words without writing forever. It was truly truly truly....truly wonderful. If you are a children's lit or YA blogger/reviewer or author/blogger, I highly recommend you connect with Kidlitosphere. That is one community of people who do great things for the world of reading and writing. I'll try to capture a bit of my experience below:


This first picture is of Pam, also known as Mother Reader. She was the super-organizer of the event and her passion for blogging, reading, and promoting reading was ricocheting off of her the entire time. If you get a chance, go to her events. It will be well worth your time. You can check out more about her on her blog.


This is another highlight of the day. One of the panels
discussed building literacy among the community and it
was WONDERFUL to hear about the things that are being done to promote reading. This is a picture of me and Ernestine Benedict, the vice president of marketing and communications at Reading is Fundamental. RIF is a non-profit organization in DC that enriches children's lives through, guess what?..reading! If you'd like to know more about what they do or to donate to a fantastic cause, go to RIF's webpage. It was not only a pleasure to meet her, but it was inspiring to hear all the good things they do.

 
                                        
And this is Sheila Ruth, the "Empress of YA fantasy and science fiction," and one of the organizers for the 2009 Cybils award. I met her when she came over to my book and thought she recognized the cover. She proceeded to inform me that The Pace was indeed nominated for the 2009 Cybils in the Science Fiction and Fantasy category.  I had NO IDEA! NONE. ZERO. And to say that discovery made my whole day would be an understatement. I am surprised and thrilled for two reasons. One: I did not write to purposely create sci-fi. That aspect evolved as the story developed, but what is neat, is that it seems to be the one aspect that people say makes The Pace so unique. So I am thrilled that people recognize and enjoy something that, to me, made my story work and be believable.
Second: this book is simply the little engine that could. If it were not for the enthusiasm and encouragement of my 2008 2nd and 3rd period classes, I am not sure if this book would be in print at all right now. But, it is, because those persistent seventeen- year-olds insisted that other teens would like this book. So to hear that it is in the company of many others in that category is a testament that anything is possible if you believe AND that you can really trust seventeen- year-olds when it comes to reading!  This nomination is for them.  

Overall, I had a great time, and I think it was mostly because the common denominator among everyone there was to promote a love of reading.

10/5/2009
The Pace makes it to Amazon Kindle for those who like to e-read!
You can also find Sophie and Weston on Facebook now under The Pace Series. Some fun things are going on there... Fan covers and photos that are so neat! Lastly, I am so excited about the cover design for The Broken Lake. I hope to have it for you soon!

9/26/2009
I came across a cool online bookstore that caught my attention, so I thought I would share the link. It's called Better World Books, and they have free shipping in the USA, $3.97 worldwide. What's neat is it seems you can buy one book and still get the free shipping and what is even better is
every book purchased from Better World Books contributes to individual literacy throughout the world. They also use eco-friendly shipping materials.
You might want to try it!
Better World Books.