10th Annual Texas Teen Book Festival

The Texas Teen Book Festival has announced the date of their TENTH year - October 6, 2018! I am so lucky to be a part of an amazing organization that connects teens and fans of YA to some pretty amazing authors and their books. Last year was a year of so many firsts, and we've already been planning some new and exciting things for 2018.

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Texas Teen Book Festival 2017

The 9th Annual Texas Teen Book Festival was amazing, as always! I really enjoyed the new iTent that had interactive programming for smaller audiences. Ask Me Anything sessions and super cool Vine Making workshop with Tillie Walden and Jennifer Mathieu. Here are some of my favorite photos of the day.

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Excerpt: The Inevitable Collision of Birdie & Bash by Candace Ganger

The Inevitable Collision of Birdie & Bash by Candace Ganger
July 25, 2017 from St. Martin's Griffin

Birdie never meant to be at the party. Bash should have been long gone. But when they meet, a collision course is set off they may never recover from.

Sebastian Alvaréz is just trying to hold the pieces together: to not flunk out, to keep his sort-of-best friend Wild Kyle from doing something really bad, and to see his beloved Ma through chemo. But when he meets Birdie Paxton, a near-Valedictorian who doesn’t realize she’s smoking hot in her science pun T-shirt, at a party, an undeniable attraction sparks. And suddenly he’s not worried about anything. But before they are able to exchange numbers, they are pulled apart. A horrifying tragedy soon links Birdie and Bash together—but neither knows it. When they finally reconnect, and are starting to fall—hard—the events of the tragedy unfold, changing both their lives in ways they can never undo. Told in alternating perspectives, The Inevitable Collision of Birdie & Bash by Candace Ganger is a beautiful, complex, and ultimately hopeful teen novel that will move you to the very last page.

Review: Star Wars Builders (Millennium Falcon, Starfighters, & Droids)

Star Wars Builders: Millennium Falcon by Benjamin Harper

Discover what makes the Millennium Falcon the most famous ship in the galaxy with this master builder kit! Featuring a 64-page book detailing out some of the ship's most daring adventures and introducing members of the crew, Star Wars fans will enjoy learning more about one of the most legendary starships in the galaxy. Plus, this kit includes thick puzzle-like pieces so fans can build their very own Millennium Falcon ship for all their adventures.

Review: Our Own Private Universe by Robin Talley

Our Own Private Universe by Robin Talley
January 31st 2017 from Harlequin Teen

Fifteen-year-old Aki Simon has a theory. And it's mostly about sex. 

No, it isn't that kind of theory. Aki already knows she's bisexual—even if, until now, it's mostly been in the hypothetical sense. Aki has dated only guys so far, and her best friend, Lori, is the only person who knows she likes girls, too. 

Actually, Aki's theory is that she's got only one shot at living an interesting life—and that means she's got to stop sitting around and thinking so much. It's time for her to actually do something. Or at least try. 

So when Aki and Lori set off on a church youth-group trip to a small Mexican town for the summer and Aki meets Christa—slightly older, far more experienced—it seems her theory is prime for the testing. 

But it's not going to be easy. For one thing, how exactly do two girls have sex, anyway? And more important, how can you tell if you're in love? It's going to be a summer of testing theories—and the result may just be love.

Guest Post: Pasadena by Sherri L. Smith #pasadena

Pasadena by Sherri L. Smith

September 13, 2016 from G.P. Putnam's Sons for Young Readers

Bad things happen everywhere. Even in the land of sun and roses. 

When Jude's best friend is found dead in a swimming pool, her family calls it an accident. Her friends call it suicide. But Jude calls it what it is: murder. And someone has to pay.

Now everyone is a suspect--family and friends alike. And Jude is digging up the past like bones from a shallow grave. Anything to get closer to the truth. But that's the thing about secrets. Once they start turning up, nothing is sacred. And Jude's got a few skeletons of her own. 

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You can find Smith at her website

Sherri is heading to TEXAS TEEN BOOK FESTIVAL next month! Be sure to stop by and pick up a signed copy of PASADENA, FLYGIRL, and ORLEANS!

Giveaway + Interview: The Giant (Quarantine #4) by Lex Thomas

The Giant (Quarantine #4) by Lex Thomas

September 1, 2016 from Carolrhoda Lab™

In the violent early days of the quarantine, Gonzalo joins a gang of thieves who live in the ductwork of McKinley High School. There he falls in love with Sasha, but as he grows too big to fit, he is forced to leave without her. 

A year later, he scours the infected zone for her. No matter how many murderers, puncture wounds, or militia he has to survive, Gonzalo can't give up on Sasha. 

In the fourth installment of the Quarantine series, Lex Thomas delivers two intertwined stories about love and longing, which merge in a conclusion where the fate of the entire infected zone hangs in the balance. 

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You can find Lex Thomas at their website

As the series progressed, was it easier for you to collaboratively write? Was there a moment where you knew where the other was going to take a character or story since you've been writing together many years?

Guest Post: A Season for Fireflies by Rebecca Maizel

A Season for Fireflies by Rebecca Maizel
June 28, 2016 from HarperTeen

A year ago, Penny Berne was the star of her high school’s theater department, surrounded by a group of misfit friends and falling in love for the first time. Now her old friends won’t talk to her, her new best friend is the most popular girl in school, and her first love, Wes, ignores her. Penny is revered and hated. Then, in a flash, a near-fatal lightning strike leaves Penny with no memory of the past year—or how she went from drama nerd to queen bee. 

As a record number of fireflies light up her town and her life, Penny realizes she may be able to make things right again—and that even if she can’t change the past, she can learn to see the magic where she never could before.

This captivating new novel about first love, second chances, and the power of memory is perfect for fans of Lauren Oliver’s Before I Fall and Katie Cotugno’s How to Love.

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Find Maizel at her website

Excited to have Rebecca Maizel on the blog today talking about her Top 5 Favorite Memories!

5. Achieving my MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts. 2010-2012 were some of the worst years of my life. Health wise I was not doing well and professionally, let’s say I was learning a lot! The bright spot in my life was attending Vermont College of Fine Arts. I interacted and met such brilliant writers and worked with mentors who forever changed me as a writer & teacher. VCFA is magic.

4. Rock Harbor Orleans, MA. My favorite memories here are from either this past summer or a few years ago. This is a really magical place on Cape Cod. It’s a beach/marina where trees were implanted into the sand as buoys. When it’s low tide at Rock Harbor, the sand stretches for (what seems like) miles. But you can walk out to the pine trees and swim around them. Also tons of teeny, tiny hermit crabs. The sand is purple and pink. You can bring your dog after 4pm, so it’s just a special experience, a special moment, and it might be what heaven looks like. Sorry for the hyperbole, but it’s true.

3. Guns N’Roses first row this past July 19th. For those who follow my Instagram -- you know how much I love this band. So you can imagine my insane happiness when Slash & Duff rejoined Axl Rose completing the most successful incarnation of GNR since the original line-up 25 years ago. I wish Izzy Stradlin and Steven Adler had been there but it’s not happened yet. If the original line-up reunites completely- I might freak out. I also saw them in Vegas back in April and that was incredible. Sebastian Bach joined them on “My Michelle” and I cried the entire show. Literally. I might need help.

2. The births of my niece and nephew. It’s cliché because so many people would say this, but I didn’t know how much I could love another human and so immediately. The moment I held them both, I fell in love. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for them.

1. Publishing my first book, Infinite Days. One of the most important moments in my life was getting the phone call that my book had sold. My agent, at the time, called and when he said the words, “Brazil has offered you a deal!” I was standing outside my part-time teaching job. The air was still decently cool from the late spring air and I jumped up and down on the block. My book later sold in 11 territories around the world (including the US). That phone call remains one of the happiest moments in my life.

Giveaway + Interview: Read Me Like a Book by Liz Kessler

Read Me Like a Book by Liz Kessler
June 14, 2016 from Candlewick Press

In her first novel for young adults, New York Times best-selling author Liz Kessler tells a story about finding a kindred spirit and becoming your true self.

Ashleigh Walker is a mediocre student with an assortment of friends, a sort-of boyfriend, and no plans for the future. Then a straight-from-college English teacher, Miss Murray, takes over Ash’s class and changes everything. Miss Murray smiles a lot. She shares poetry with curse words in it. She’s, well, cool. And she seems to really care about her students. About Ashleigh. For the first time, Ash feels an urge to try harder. To give something — someone — her best. Before she knows it, Ashleigh is in love. Intense, heart-racing, all-consuming first love. It’s strong enough to distract her from worrying about bad grades and her parents’ marriage troubles. But what will happen if Miss Murray finds out Ashleigh is in love with her?

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You can find Kessler at her website

Giveaway: Sea Spell by Jennifer Donnelly #WaterfireSaga

Sea Spell by Jennifer Donnelly
June 14th 2016 from Disney-Hyperion

At the end of Dark Tide, Book 3 in the Waterfire Saga, Astrid leaves her mermaid friends to confront her ancestor, Orfeo, the evil force behind the rise of the monster Abbadon. Orfeo possesses one of the six talismans that the merls need in order to keep the monster locked up forever. But without the ability to songcast, how will Astrid be able to defeat the most powerful mage in history?

Meanwhile, Serafina and her Black Fins train goblin troops for battle against her uncle Vallerio’s death riders. Will Sera ever see her beloved home—and her beloved Mahdi—again, or will the Volneros take over the mer realms while Orfeo takes on the gods themselves? Nothing less than the fate of the underwater world is at stake in this breathtaking finale.

Giveaway & Excerpt: Invision (Chronicles of Nick #7) by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Invision (Chronicles of Nick #7) by Sherrilyn Kenyon
May 3, 2016 from St. Martin's Griffin

***Please note if you haven’t read Instinct, there could be spoilers in the synopsis below.

One boy . . .Many demons.

Think there’s a lot of pressure on your shoulders? Nick Gautier was born to bring about the end of the world . . . it’s not easy being the heir of a demon overlord.

But Nick is determined to thwart his destiny and get into a good college. To be more than his genetics and prophecy foretell. No one is ever going to tell this stubborn Cajun who and what he really is. Or how to live his life.

Not even the Fates of the Universe. But now that he and his team of ancient gods and demons have claimed the Eye of Ananke and he sees the missteps of the future, he has to battle the demons within that are far deadlier and more treacherous than any he’s battled before. All the while his arch nemesis is back and determined to reclaim his place as the harbinger for Armageddon. Even if it means killing Nick and barbecuing everyone he loves to do so.

Giveaway + Review: Maybe a Fox by Kathi Appelt & Alison McGhee

Maybe a Fox by Kathi Appelt
March 8, 2016 from Atheneum

A tale about two sisters, a fox cub, and what happens when one of the sisters disappears forever.

Sylvie and Jules, Jules and Sylvie. Better than just sisters, better than best friends, they’d be identical twins if only they’d been born in the same year. And if only Sylvie wasn’t such a fast—faster than fast—runner. But Sylvie is too fast, and when she runs to the river they’re not supposed to go anywhere near to throw a wish rock just before the school bus comes on a snowy morning, she runs so fast that no one sees what happens…and no one ever sees her again. Jules is devastated, but she refuses to believe what all the others believe, that—like their mother—her sister is gone forever.

At the very same time, in the shadow world, a shadow fox is born—half of the spirit world, half of the animal world. She too is fast—faster than fast—and she senses danger. She’s too young to know exactly what she senses, but she knows something is very wrong. And when Jules believes one last wish rock for Sylvie needs to be thrown into the river, the human and shadow worlds collide.

Writing in alternate voices—one Jules’s, the other the fox’s—Kathi Appelt and Alison McGhee tell the tale of one small family’s moment of heartbreak.

Giveaway + Deleted Scene: What We Left Behind by Robin Talley

Welcome to Day #6 of the What We Left Behind Blog Tour!

To celebrate the release of What We Left Behind by Robin Talley (10/27/15 - tomorrow!), blogs across the web are featuring exclusive content from Robin, as well as 10 chances to win a copy of What We Left Behind or a 7-book LGBT YA Prize Pack chosen by Robin herself in the Grand Prize Giveaway! There are TWO separate places to enter below.

Giveaway: Through the Dark #ThroughtheDark

Through the Dark by Alexandra Bracken
October 6, 2015 from Disney-Hyperion

This collection of thrilling--and utterly heartbreaking--novellas set in the in the world of the Darkest Minds is an absolute must-have for fans of the New York Times best-selling trilogy.

Don't miss this breathtaking collection of stories set in the world of the New York Times best-selling Darkest Minds trilogy. Featuring ebook original novellas In Time and Sparks Rise, available in print for the first time, and a gripping, brand-new novella, Through the Dark is a must-have for fans of the Darkest Minds.This collection contains three novellas: In Time, Sparks Rise, and Beyond the Night, as well as a sneak peek at the first novel in Alexandra Bracken's new series, Passenger.

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#ThroughtheDark

Giveaway: The Waterfire Saga series: Deep Blue, Rogue Wave, & Dark Tide #DarkTide

Dark Tide by Jennifer Donnelly

October 13, 2015 from Disney-Hyperion

Once a lost and confused princess, Serafina is now a confident leader of the Black Fin Resistance (BFR). While she works on sabotaging her enemy and enlisting allies for battle, her friends face challenges of their own. Ling is in the hold of Rafe Mfeme's giant trawler, on her way to a prison camp. Becca meets up with Astrid and learns why the Ondalinian mermaid is always so angry: she is hiding a shameful secret. Ava can't return home, because death riders await her arrival. And it is getting more and more difficult for Mahdi, Serafina's betrothed, to keep up the ruse that he is in love with Lucia Volerno. If Lucia's parents become suspicious, his life--and all of Sera's hopes--will be extinguished. Political intrigue, dangerous liaisons, and spine-tingling suspense swirl like a maelstrom in this penultimate book in the WaterFire saga.

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You can find Donnelly at her website
Learn more on waterfiresaga.com
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#DarkTide

Giveaway: The Marvels by Brian Selznick #TheMarvels

The Marvels by Brian Selznick
September 15, 2016 from Scholastic

From the Caldecott Medal-winning creator of The Invention of Hugo Cabret and Wonderstruck comes a breathtaking new voyage.

In this magnificent reimagining of the form he originated, two stand-alone stories—the first in nearly 400 pages of continuous pictures, the second in prose—together create a beguiling narrative puzzle.
The journey begins on a ship at sea in 1766, with a boy named Billy Marvel. After surviving a shipwreck, he finds work in a London theatre. There, his family flourishes for generations as brilliant actors until 1900, when young Leontes Marvel is banished from the stage.

Nearly a century later, Joseph Jervis runs away from school and seeks refuge with an uncle in London. Albert Nightingale’s strange, beautiful house, with its mysterious portraits and ghostly presences, captivates Joseph and leads him on a search for clues about the house, his family, and the past.

A gripping adventure and an intriguing invitation to decipher how the two narratives connect, The Marvels is a loving tribute to the power of story from an artist at the vanguard of creative innovation.
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You can find Selznick at his website
Brian Selznick is setting out on a multi-city tour to celebrate the release of THE MARVELS! Selznick is coming to BookPeople on October 24th!

Giveaway, Review, + Guest Post: Honor Girl by Maggie Thrash

Honor Girl by Maggie Thrash

September 8th, 2015 from Candlewick Press

All-girl camp. First love. First heartbreak. At once romantic and devastating, brutally honest and full of humor, this graphic-novel memoir is a debut of the rarest sort.

Maggie Thrash has spent basically every summer of her fifteen-year-old life at the one-hundred-year-old Camp Bellflower for Girls, set deep in the heart of Appalachia. She’s from Atlanta, she’s never kissed a guy, she’s into Backstreet Boys in a really deep way, and her long summer days are full of a pleasant, peaceful nothing . . . until one confounding moment. A split-second of innocent physical contact pulls Maggie into a gut-twisting love for an older, wiser, and most surprising of all (at least to Maggie), female counselor named Erin. But Camp Bellflower is an impossible place for a girl to fall in love with another girl, and Maggie’s savant-like proficiency at the camp’s rifle range is the only thing keeping her heart from exploding. When it seems as if Erin maybe feels the same way about Maggie, it’s too much for both Maggie and Camp Bellflower to handle, let alone to understand.

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You can find Thrash at her website

Thrash is heading to Texas Book Festival 2015!

Cover Reveal: The Bitter Side of Sweet by Tara Sullivan

You might remember Sullivan from her 2013 novel GOLDEN BOY, a highly acclaimed story about an albino boy in East Africa and his more than unsupportive family. Happy to report there is a new novel due out in 2016. Check out....

The Bitter Side of Sweet by Tara Sullivan
February 23, 2016 from G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers

Fifteen-year-old Amadou counts the things that matter. For two long years, what’s mattered are cacao pods. The more Amadou can chop down in a single day, the better his chances are of keeping the bosses’ beatings at bay, keeping himself and his little brother, Seydou, alive and then maybe, just maybe, returning home to Baba and Auntie. At least he hopes so. But the bosses won’t tell him the number that matters most—the number that equals freedom.

When the boys first left their farm life in Mali, they only wanted to make some money to help their impoverished family survive the lean times. They never imagined they’d end up as forced labor on a cacao plantation in the Ivory Coast. But that’s exactly what happened, and each day that passes, they lose a little more fight, a little more hope that they’ll ever be free or see their home again.

Then one day, a girl—Khadija arrives at the camp. There’s never been a girl on the farm before and she is a wild thing; she fights every day to get away—reawakening old impulses in Amadou to run. But when the bosses finally break her, and the unthinkable happens to Seydou, Amadou understands the only choice left—the only choice they’ve ever had—is to run . . . or die without their loved ones ever knowing what happened to them. The three band together as family and try just once more for home.

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You can find Sullivan at her wesbite

Giveaway & Guest Post: Cast Off: The Strange Adventures of Petra de Winter and Bram Broen by Eve Yohalem

Cast Off: The Strange Adventures of Petra de Winter and Bram Broen
May 19th, 2015 from Dial Books

A tale of pirates, mutiny, and friendship on the high seas, perfect for fans of The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle

It’s 1663 and there is an extra passenger on board a Dutch merchant ship setting sail for the East Indies. Twelve-year-old Petra has stowed away to escape her abusive father. But she quickly realizes that surviving for months at sea will be impossible without help. So when Bram, the half-Dutch / Half-Javanese son of the ship’s carpenter, finds her hiding spot, Petra convinces him to help her stay hidden . . .and help disguise her as a boy.

If Petra is discovered and exposed as a girl, she could be tossed overboard, or worse . . . returned to her father. And if Bram is exposed for helping her, he could lose the only home—and family—he has. As tensions rise on the ship, with pirates attacking, deadly illness, and even mutiny, Petra and Bram face impossible decisions that test their friendship and threaten their dreams of freedom.

Told in alternating voices and filled with secrets and intrigue, this richly researched novel is historical fiction at its best.

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You can find Yohalem at her website

Cover Reveal: The Charmed Children of Rookskill Castle by Janet Fox

The Charmed Children of Rookskill Castle by Janet Fox

March 2016 from Viking Children's Books

Something is not right at Rookskill Castle, a rundown Scottish manor shrouded in mystery. The castle is a temporary boarding school for children escaping the Blitz, but soon it’s clear there is something terribly wrong. There are clues hinting that a spy is in the house, and there are undeniable signs of a sinister magic. When the children in the castle’s temporary boarding school begin disappearing one by one, it’s a race against the clock for twelve-year-old Kat Bateson, her two younger siblings, and their new best friend.

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You can find Fox at her website

Yay, Janet Fox has a new book coming and it's her debut middle grade! Scottish castles, magic, and hopefully really cranky and sinister teachers are in store for us. I also hear that this will be available in audio as well - cheers to you, Janet!