Archive for December, 2009

Circus Sale!

03
December
2009

Tis the season for good writing news in these parts!

I am thrilled to announce the sale of my third novel CIRCUS GALACTICUS to Henry Holt, for publication in Spring 2011. I am so happy that I get to keep working with my fantastic editor Reka Simonsen, especially on this book, which I will admit right now is my absolute favorite of anything I have every worked on. I sure do hope other folks like it, but for me, the joy really was in writing it, and meeting the characters and discovering their world. I’m trying not to babble too much about it since hello, it won’t be out for another year and a half, but it is hard not to! So I will stick to the short blurb:

CIRCUS GALACTICUS, in which a fifteen-year old orphan girl joins an intergalactic circus troupe led by the dazzling yet enigmatic Ringmaster in order to unravel the dangerous mysteries left by her astronaut parents and to find her own place in the universe.

Or you can think of it, as I do sometimes, as “Cirque du Soleil meets Dr Who”. Wheeeeeeee!

I can tell already it’s going to be hard not to buy up every cool punk-circus-robot-rocket-alien-space doodad I find, for potential swag use. In fact, I already did buy some nifty outerspace origami paper, and a bunch of neon hair extensions.

Here’s hoping aliens are the next big thing! :-)

Spreading Bookish Cheer

03
December
2009

Since I’ve been yakking about giving books as gifts for the holidays, I’ve decided to spread some holiday cheer to you folks out there by offering you the chance to win free books!

I’ve chosen four of my favorites from among the many fantastic YA and MG books I read this year, and split them into two prize packages. These are all really wonderful books that I highly recommend; you can read more via the links to the author websites and goodreads. If you are desperate for your own copy you can use the indiebound link to get a copy from your local bookstore.Prize Books

Ghostly Prize Package: One hardback copy of Shadowed Summer by Saundra Mitchell (goodreads|indiebound) and one SIGNED hardback copy of Give Up the Ghost by Megan Crewe (goodreads|indiebound).

Fairydusted Prize Package: One hardback copy of Faery Rebels: Spell Hunter by R. J. Anderson (goodreads|indiebound) and one hardback copy of Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev (goodreads|indiebound).

Each package may also include a few other bits of swag depending on my whims of the day.

To enter, just comment on this post (on my writing blog or on livejournal) telling me which prize package you are trying for (Ghosts or Fairies). Please include your email address with at least one of your comments so I can contact you if you win.

I will also award one extra entry (each) if you tweet about this contest, post about it on facebook, your blog, etc. Please leave an additional comment for each extra entry with a link to the tweet/blog post/etc.

The contest will end on Midnight December 18th. I’m sorry, but I will only be able to mail prizes to US and Canadian mailing addresses.

Thank you, and good luck!

Edited to add: And if you would like a chance to win my book, Fortune’s Folly, you can enter the contest Megan Crewe is holding on her blog here (No, we didn’t actually plan the reciprocal giveaways! Apparently we are communicating via some sort of subconscious telepathy!). Megan is also giving away a couple other fantasy books and a critique of three chapters (and I can tell you from personal experience Megan is a fantastic critiquer!).

Upcoming Events

01
December
2009

If you’re anywhere near NYC this coming weekend, I’ll be signing books with 7 other debut authors from the [info]debut2009 community at Books of Wonder on Sunday, December 6th from 1-3pm. There will be prizes, readings, Q&A and holiday festivity. We’ve got books for all sorts: middle grade and YA, contemporary and fantasy, humor and drama! We’d love to see you there!

The participating authors are:
Megan Crewe (Give up the Ghost)
Sarah Cross (Dull Boy)
Deva Fagan (Fortune’s Folly)
Neesha Meminger (Shine, Coconut Moon)
Kate Messner (The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z)
Shani Petroff (Bedeviled)
Jon Skovron (Struts and Frets)
Michelle Zink (Prophecy of the Sisters)

If you can’t attend but would like a signed book anyway, you can pre-order one from Books of Wonder.

There’s also a facebook page here.

And if you can’t make it to NYC check out the other Holidaze with the Debs signings in Chicago, the San Francisco Bay Area, and Toronto. Click here for more info.

Or, if you’re a Mainer, you can also see me on Saturday, December 5th at 3PM, at the Thomas Memorial Library in Cape Elizabeth Maine!

Lastly, if you are interested in winning a signed copy of Fortune’s Folly (as well as a TON of other fabulous books) check out the amazing giveaway we are running over at the Enchanted Inkpot! I’m loving reading all the comments about what books people are interested in reading, and what fantasy books remind other readers of the holidays (for me it’s definitely The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe!).