Monday, January 31, 2011

Event Report: Blessed & Night School Launch Party

Thanks so much to everyone who celebrated the release of my latest novel, Blessed (Tantalize series), and Mari Mancusi's latest novel, Night School (Blood Coven series), last Saturday at BookPeople in Austin. Thanks also to everyone who tweeted, blogged, facebooked, talked up, or otherwise made noise about the event!


It's vampire (me) versus slayer (Mari) as we leap into action, mugging for the cameras.


Vampire bartender Bethany Hegedus greets guests with a toothy smile. Note: Gene Brenek also helped with bartending/refreshment duties/set up.


The menu included cover art cake, raspberry lemon bars (courtesy of Amy Rose Capetta) as well as bat sugar cookies and heart sugar cookies (courtesy of Anne Bustard).


We offered "fairy blood," "synthetic blood," and "real blood" at the vampire bar! (Special thanks & kudos to Mandy at BookPeople--very creative!)

Here a closer look at the cover-cake, which Mari coordinated with H-E-B supermarket.


Check out these chocolate chip cookies (courtesy of Gene). A' la Sanguini's, the "predator" ones have bacon in them and the "prey" ones don't.


Anne Bustard is famous for her sugar cookies! Aren't these bats adorable?


College Station author Kathi Appelt chats with Mari.


San Antonio author Peni Griffin models the new books!

Austin authors Liz Garton Scanlon, Jennifer Ziegler (and Chris Barton in the background).


Kathi with Austin author Jessica Lee Anderson.


Jessica with author-illustrator Frances Yansky.


Austin SCBWI RA and author Debbie Gonzales with Austin author-illustrator Emma Virjan.

Here's a peek at some of the giveaways, courtesy of Candlewick (Blessed) and Penguin (Night School). We awarded them to folks in the audience who asked a question.

Suddenly, the crowd poured in, and it was time to set down the camera.

Another crowd shot, before everyone settled in for the standing-room-only presentation.

The program consisted of our book trailers, followed by Mari and I interviewing each other and then taking questions from the audience. Note: a number of folks commented that they enjoyed this interactive format.

Finally, we signed books for about an hour and then visited with the readers kind enough to join us. It was an upbeat, jovial, spooky-fun time!

One last shot of author-slayer Mari! What a treat to share the stage with her!

Cynsational Notes

Miss the party? No worries! BookPeople has signed stock of both Blessed and Night School! Swing by the store or call 512.472.5050 to order.

Thank you to BookPeople, Candlewick Press and Penguin Young Readers for your support!

Thank you to Jen Bigheart, the Literary Lonestars & the whole Texas book blogger community! Note: I don't dare try to list everyone for fear of accidentally leaving someone out, but please do know that you are hugely appreciated!

Blessed will be available from Walker Books Australia and New Zealand tomorrow! See details!

LAST CALL: enter to win the Blessed Grand Prize Giveaway from Cynsations. Deadline: Jan. 31.

Blessed Blog Tour: Interview with Bradley and Giveaway from Pirate Penguin Reads. Peek: "Cursed Internet. Deception was such a readily available snack in the early-to-mid twentieth century." Giveaway deadline: Feb. 6.

Blessed Blog Tour: Secondary Characters & Giveaway by Cynthia Leitich Smith from Badass Bookie. Peek: "Secondary characters mirror individual qualities of the hero. Illuminate them. Secondary characters challenge the hero. Fuel their growth. Secondary characters comment on the main characters. They help tell the readers what we need to know." Giveaway deadline: Feb. 4.

Blessed Blog Tour: Top Ten YA Recommendations & Giveaway by Cynthia Leitich Smith from A Good Addiction. Giveaway deadline: Feb. 6.

Cynsational Events

Blessed In-Person Author Tour Schedule in Central Texas and the Northeastern U.S.: sponsored by Candlewick Press. Are you in New York, New Jersey, or the Philly area? Come join me along the way!

Finally

Here are the book trailers for Night School:



and Blessed:

Friday, January 28, 2011

Spooky News & Giveaways

Taming That To-Do List by R.L. LaFevers from Shrinking Violet Promotions. Peek: "If you are a published writer, a lot of those To Dos probably pertain to the business side of things. But here’s the kicker: you get to decide precisely which business things those entail."

Five Things I Wish I Knew Before I Queried by K.M. Walton from Some Things I Think. Peek: "I wish I didn't compare my query journey to other writers. Yes, I know it's human nature, but it's also extremely unhealthy and seriously gets in the way of success."

SCBWI Team Blog Pre-Conference Interview: Editors & Agents on Interacting with Them by Alice Pope from Alice Pope's SCBWI Blog. Insights from editors Krista Marino (Delacorte), Francesco Sedita (Penguin), and Kate Sullivan (Little, Brown); and agents Kerry Sparks (Levine/Greenberg) and Mary Kole (Andrea Brown). From Krista: "Aggressive, abrasive behavior will turn me away from even the most promising manuscript."

Querying the Cliche by Jane Lebak from Query Tracker. Peek: "Remember that a cliché is a shortcut. And when you use one to describe your own work, you're giving only a surface rendering of a story with depth. Work harder. Give it that depth."

Wernick & Pratt: new literary agency founded by Marcia Wernick and Linda Pratt, both formerly of the Sheldon Fogelman Agency. Source: SCBWI Brazos Valley via Publishers Weekly. Peek: "...represent established and emerging authors and illustrators, whose work ranges from fiction to non-fiction, from very young picture books and novelty books, through early readers, middle grade and young adult novels."

Every Author's Two Audiences by Janet Kobobel Grant from Books & Such. Peek: "Authors often don’t know when they should communicate with their publisher. They don’t want to be pests, but this reluctance to communicate can cause serious repercussions." Source: Kristi Holl from Writer's First Aid.

Harold at Highlights

Harold Underdown will be working with the Highlights Foundation this year in two different workshops. From March 10 to March 13, at the Highlights Founders Workshop site near Honesdale, Pennsylvania, he will introduce proven techniques for self-editing and for revising. The goal is not so much to revise a manuscript (though participants will) but to increase their ability to revise on their own or by working with other writers! Harold will be joined by children's book editor Eileen Robinson, who runs F1rst Pages. Harold and Eileen will be drawing on their experience working in-house as editors and running their Kid's Book Revisions workshop to help writers to think like editors.

The workshop is limited to twelve writers: information and an application form can be found at the Highlights Foundation website. Or you may phone Jo Lloyd at 570.253.1192, or e-mail jo.lloyd@highlightsfoundation.org, to request an application.

Harold will also be teaching this summer at the Highlights Foundation's 2011 Writer's Workshop at Chautauqua, from July 16th to July 23. Scholarship applications are due Feb. 11.

Teen Read Week and Teen Tech Week: Tips and Resources for YALSA’s Initiatives

Congratulations to Megan Fink on the release of Teen Read Week and Teen Tech Week: Tips and Resources for YALSA’s Initiatives (YALSA, 2010). From the promotional copy:

Each year, the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) sponsors two national literacy initiatives: Teen Read Week™, which encourages teens to read for fun and become regular library users, and Teen Tech Week™, which encourages teens to take advantage of the free technology available at libraries. Since 2003, YALSA’s award-winning quarterly journal, Young Adult Library Services has offered guidance for librarians planning Teen Read Week and Teen Tech Week events.


For the first time, YALSA has compiled the best YALS articles on teen reading and teen information literacy into one volume, Teen Read Week and Teen Tech Week: Tips and Resources for YALSA’s Initiatives, launching its new Best of YALS series. Editor Megan Fink, middle school librarian at the Charlotte Country Day School and a former Teen Read Week chair, selected articles to form a manual that will offer guidance to librarians planning their annual events, with advice on best practices, collection development, outreach and marketing, program ideas and more.


In addition, YA authors
Walter Dean Myers and Cynthia Leitich Smith and Best Teen Read Week contest winners Elizabeth Kahn and Jennifer Velásquez contributed original content about the importance of these initiatives and how they support teens’ information needs, along with an introduction by YALSA past president Judy Nelson.
See more information.

More Personally

Blessed is now available from Candlewick! Thanks to everyone who's read, blogged, tweeted, facebooked or otherwise made noise about the novel! It means a lot to me.

Meanwhile, I continue to work on book four in the Tantalize series, which picks up several plot threads from Eternal and one from Blessed.

It's terrific to be wholly immersed in new novel as the previous one is coming out. I only have so much time to indulge release jitters. As great as it is, being an author, it's being a writer that keeps me grounded and happy.

I also received the exciting news from my editor that the graphic novel Eternal: Zachary's Story is green-lighted to be sent onto illustrator Ming Doyle.

Highlights of the past week include a Writers' League of Texas author event on "Inspiration: The First Glimmer of a Book Idea" at BookPeople in Austin. Here, Bethany Hegedus moderates a panel, featuring Jennifer Ziegler, Brian Yansky and Stephen Harrigan. The program was a kickoff to the 2011 Third Thursday series: Building a Book. See also the League's YA A to Z Conference April 15 and April 16 in Austin.

Guest Post: Cynthia Leitich Smith from Libba Bray. Peek: "I fault Stephen King for my coulrophobia and treasure my tattered copy of V.C. Andrews’ Incest in the Attic series. I was a Whedonesque slayer in a former life."

Book Giveaway and Teaching Author Interview with Cynthia Leitich Smith by Carmela Martino from Teaching Authors: Six Children's Authors Who Also Teach Writing. Peek: " What I typically suggest to my students is to physically act out a scene. Literally step into the moment and movement(s). Or to perhaps sketch out a map of the town or bedroom, so that it's easier for them to mentally move their cast around and describe that on the page." Giveaway deadline: Feb. 2.

Quotable -- Cynthia Leitich Smith by Lindsey Lane from The Meandering Lane. Peek: "...today is about Cyn’s favorite quote, the one that stokes her writer engine."

Character Interviews with Quincie and Brad by Valorie from Truth Be Told.

  • Peek: Peek from Brad (on what he looks forward to in the future): "Flying cars! I've been promised flying cars for decades, and where are they? Beyond that, I look forward to the day when Quincie accepts the inevitable and agrees to join me in our eternal life together."
  • Peek from Quincie: "f some smooth-talking, older guy starts plying you with liquor, flattering you, and trying to impress you when you're most vulnerable because of, say, your parents divorce or a death in the family or a falling out with your best friend, run the hell away from the jerk. Now, fast, go!"
Blessed Character Interview with Zachary & Giveaway from Girls in the Stacks. Peek: "I missed the amazing, self-proclaimed quirky weirdness of Austin."

Blessed Reviews

Greg and I celebrated release day at Amy's Ice Creams in Austin; see photo of our server.

Blessed: A Delicious and Deadly Treat by Norah Piehl from BookPage. Peek: "...smart, sexy...her homage to Stoker’s classic novel is most apparent, as she uses the book’s characters for inspiration, its plot for structure and its themes for a rich background that will lead many readers to (re)discover the original Dracula even as they enjoy this darkly humorous send-up."

Blessed Review by Kristen from Bookworming in the 21rst Century. Peek: "For a book nearing 500 pages long, the story flew by fast, filled with action and emotional turmoil. I absolutely loved this book and hope there will be more."

Blessed Review from BookChic. Peek: "I love this trilogy of books and how, in this one, Smith merged the casts from the previous two books, Tantalize and Eternal. She did a wonderful job doing it and it felt right. I really enjoyed revisiting these characters and I fell into a rhythm even though it's been a long time since reading both (though less time from Eternal but Blessed is mostly from Quincie's perspective from Tantalize)."

Blessed Review by Jillian Van Leer from Young Adult Book Central. Peek: "I really enjoyed all the action, the love, the betrayal, everything! If you have read the first two books in this series (and even if you haven't!) go out and get this book!"

Blessed Giveaways

Enter to win the Blessed Grand Prize Giveaway from Cynsations. Deadline: Jan. 31.

Blessed Blog Tour & ARC/Prize Package Giveaways by Kari from The Teen {Book} Scene. See individual sites on this online tour for specific prize entry information.

Blessed Online Countdown Event by Valorie from Truth Be Told. Valorie is posting reviews, book trailers, teaser excerpts, giveaways, and author-and-character interviews. Giveaway deadline: 11 p.m. PST Jan. 24. See details.

See also the Teaching Authors Giveaway. Deadline: Feb. 2.

Blessed Launch Party

Joint Launch Party: Blessed by Cynthia Leitich Smith (Candlewick) and Night School by Mari Mancusi (Berkley) book party and signing at 2 p.m. Jan. 29 at BookPeople in Austin. Event will include author talks, Q&A, refreshments and signing. Wear red and black if you're on the side of Evil or blue and black if you're on the side of Good. Bonus points (and possible prize) to anyone who dresses up as a vampire, shape shifter, vampire slayer, angel or faerie!

The winner of an autographed copy of Night School was Kaya in Oregon.

More Events

Blessed In-Person Author Tour Schedule in Central Texas and the Northeastern U.S.: sponsored by Candlewick Press. Are you in Austin, New York, New Jersey, or the Philly area? Come join me along the way!

12th Annual Southwest Florida Reading Festival will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 19 in Fort Myers, Florida. Note: speakers include Cynthia Leitich Smith.

SCBWI-Wisconsin Novel Revision Workshop with author Cynthia Leitich Smith from March 25 to March 27. Note: "Registration is limited to 25 persons."

Finally

Blessed celebratory ice cream--Darth chocolate with hot chocolate sauce and pecans.

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Blessed by Cynthia Leitich Smith is Now Available

I'm thrilled to announce that Blessed is now available from Candlewick Press!

Check out the latest coverage:

Blessed: In Which I Interview Cynthia Leitich Smith by Joy Preble from Joy's Novel Idea. Peek: "I’ve created a vampire society with its own history, political structure, and system of laws as well as, say, architectural predispositions. The undead, for example, are big fans of the Arts and Crafts movement."

In Stores this Week (With Interviews and Giveaways) from Adventures in Children's Publishing. Peek: "I wrote the proposal for my editor in March 2008...at the Arizona Biltmore. The place opened in 1929. It's swanky, designed in the Craftsman tradition (think: Frank Lloyd Wright). Irving Berlin penned 'White Christmas' by the pool. Marilyn Monroe referred to that same pool as her favorite. ...I grabbed a chair around that pool, then, later, another around the fire pit, and brainstormed."

Read an excerpt of Blessed from Teenreads.com.

Look for the Blessed ads today in Publishers Weekly online and in the Baker & Taylor's CATS Meow: Library Newsletter for Children's and Teen Services for January 2011!

Latest Buzz

"Quincie is a capable, independent and appealing heroine who has matured considerably since her debut in 'Tantalize.' Smith plans one more book in the series; 'Blessed' raises expectations for a complex (and thrilling) conclusion."
In 'Blessed,' Neophyte Vampire Battles the Forces of the Undead
by Sharyn Vane from The Austin American-Statesman.

"I found this book intriguing and fun. The characters are well developed, and the plot is a definite attention keeper. This book is more for teens and up, and I'd rate it a 9.5 on a 10 scale."
Brianna, age 15, from Genrefluent's Bistro Book Club: Teens Talk About Books

"I give Blessed an overall rating of 5 stars [out of 5]. If you love this series, you will be floored at how good this book turned out."
Valorie from Truth Be Told

Mega Giveaways

Enter to win the Blessed Grand Prize Giveaway from Cynsations. Deadline: Jan. 31.

Blessed Blog Tour & ARC/Prize Package Giveaways by Kari from The Teen {Book} Scene. See individual sites on this online tour for specific prize entry information.

Blessed Online Countdown Event by Valorie from Truth Be Told. Valorie is posting reviews, book trailers, teaser excerpts, giveaways, and author-and-character interviews. Giveaway deadline: 11 p.m. PST Jan. 24. See details.

Blessed Tour

Blessed Central Texas and Northeast U.S. Tour from Candlewick Press. Note: YA authors Mari Mancusi and Daniel Nayeri will be joining Cynthia here and there along the way!



Cynsational Notes

This post features a sampling of the latest buzz surrounding Blessed. I'll highlight more links as part of my weekly round-ups. Thanks to everyone who's reading and discussing the novel!

I greatly appreciate y'all indulging today's celebration. I'll return to highlighting other authors, their books, and news of the publishing world, starting again tomorrow!

Friday, January 21, 2011

Spooky News, Night School Giveaway & Blessed Countdown

L.K. Madigan's Feast of Awesome Giveaway by Cindy Pon from the 2009 Debutantes. Peek: "How can we best express our love and support for Lisa during this time? Through the celebration of her books. only a fellow writer can know the angst and turmoil associated with creating stories--because we put so much of ourselves in them. Won't you help us in spreading L.K. Madigan Book Love?"

ALA Youth Media Awards: Which Publishers Are Celebrating? by Elizabeth Bluemle from Publishers Weekly. Peek: "I’ll start with a summary, and then post the full list below...."

The Agent’s Role in Today’s Digital Book World by Mary Kole, Literary Agent, Andrea Brown Literary Agency from Digital Book World. Peek: "as publishers embrace different content delivery systems and processes, agents will take on more packaging responsibilities: editorial work, marketing consultation, design, etc. Whether we’re presenting a book to editors or an app proposal to a digital publisher, we will have had a more active hand in its reaching 'market ready' status."

How to Create a Podcast: Ready to Step Out of Your Blogging Comfort Zone? by Joanna Penn from The Creative Pen. Peek: "You can use BlogTalkRadio or other free hosted solutions but I don’t think the quality is very good and iTunes is a great stand-alone market so it’s worth having your own feed."

What's Going on With Borders? by Carolyn Kellogg from Jacket Copy from the L.A. Times. Peek: "Barnes & Noble, if buffeted by Amazon's success, has remained afloat; Borders has been taking on water." Note: a clear, succinct update on the status of the Borders chain.

Should I Mention My Blog in My Query? by Peek: "...if you have a huge blog on, say, mountain climbing, but your book has nothing to do with mountain climbing, you don’t have the built-in audience an agent or editor is looking for, and mentioning your blog will look like a non sequitur."

Authors on the Internet: Facing Up To Facebook by Tami Lewis Brown from Through the Tollbooth. Peek: "This week in the Tollbooth we’ll look at Facebook and authors. We’ll see who’s doing what, check out some innovative sites for readers and writers, and look out for pitfalls."

Celebrating Rejection by Danyelle from QueryTracker.net. Peek: "...why celebrate something that can be so painful? Something that we sometimes even come to believe for a time? Because rejection is proof that you're not just existing--you're living."

David Lubar's Travel Challenge: "I have nine school visits scheduled during January, February, and March. I also have a frightening ability to attract terrible weather. (Some schools in rural areas book me in the spring because they need the rain.)" Root for David, and/or commit to donate (be it 10 cents or a dollar) to the charity of your choice each time he foils his bad travel karma! Go, David!

Hardiness by Kristi Holl from Writer's First Aid: A Medicine Chest of Hope. Peek: "I know for a fact that when I focus on the finish line–the day I can say the book is done–that it feels overwhelming."

A Crisis of Self-Confidence by Mary Kole from Kidlit.com. Peek: "Sometimes frustration is a good thing — it spurns you on when you might otherwise quit — but I find that the specific frustration of not being published yet has one common cure: stop submitting and start nursing the writing."

Writing a Young Narrator by Erik Raschke from Crowe's Nest. Peek: "I really focused on the framework in which teens communicated with one another and less on what was actually being said. Once I had written the situation, i.e. boys getting ready to fight, boys talking about sexy movie stars, I could cut out the modern language and replace it with how I used to speak when I was a budding teen (which was roughly the same time The Book of Samuel (St. Martin's, 2009) takes place)."

Taming Time: Practical Tips to Increase Writing Productivity by Sarah Sundin from Novel Journey. Peek: "'I am a professional. I am a professional.' Repeat this until you believe it. Now, act like it. Keep office hours. Even if you only have one hour a day to write, use it well."

SCBWI Team Blog Pre-Conference Interview: Advice on Critiques from Editors and Agents by Alice Pope from Alice Pope's SCBWI Children's Market Blog. Q&A with editors Krista Marino (Delacorte), Franceso Sedita (Penguin) and Jennifer Rees (Scholastic) and agents Kerry Sparks (Levine/Greenberg) and Mary Kole (Andrea Brown). Peek from Krista: "Always keep in mind that editors and agents want to work with writers who are open to suggestions, not writers who think their work is already done. Act appropriately."

SCBWI Team Blog Pre-Conference Interview: Jennifer Besser, Publisher of G.P. Putnam’s Sons, an imprint of the Penguin Young Readers Group, by Lee Wind from I'm Here. I'm Queer. What the Hell Do I Read? Peek: "Having an agent is very important, and has been for some time now. Of the deals I made in 2010, at least 95% of them were agented, and most years it’s 100%."

CBAY

From Madeline at CBAY: Until Jan. 31, "we will accept unsolicited manuscript submissions for only fantasy and science fiction picture books. These will be for traditional 32-page picture books for ages 2-5.

"...the picture book must either be a fantasy (fairy tales, dragons, fairies, etc.) or a sciene-fiction (time travel, space, under the ocean, steampunk, etc.) tale. We will not consider any other type of picture book. However, we will look at number or alphabet books with a fantasy or science fiction theme. Finally, we will not consider manuscripts written for older children at this time. This is a call for fantasy and science fiction picture books, exclusively." See more information.

More Personally

Blessed will be released on Tuesday, and so this post is bursting with countdown interviews, guest posts, upcoming events, and giveaways! Thank you so much to the bloggers and event planners! I'm honored by your interest, enthusiasm, and efforts. Most appreciated!

I'm also still on deadline for book four in the Tantalize series, which will continue to feature characters from the previous books but is more of a sequel to events in Eternal.

However, I did manage to peek out of the house for a couple of writing community events this week! So, here's my full report!

Tantalize was named a Top Ten pick on the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) list of 2011 Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults in the "What's Cooking?" category ("tasty reads to fill your belly and warm your soul.").

Previous honors for Tantalize include:
  • Borders Original Voices Nominee, March 2007
  • Featured title, 2007 National Book Festival
  • 2007-2008 Tayshas List
  • Chapters (Canada) Junior Advisory Board (JAB) pick
  • Featured title, 2007 Texas Book Festival
  • Featured title, 2007 Kansas Book Festival
Mundie Moms says of Eternal: "...it's a story about deception, redemption, love, danger, and hope. It's a story that both fans of Dracula and paranormal characters will enjoy reading." Read the whole review.

This week, BookPeople in Austin is celebrating the ALA award winners.

Jessica Lee Anderson gave an inspiring, musical, insightful presentation at the first Austin SCBWI meeting of the year. Here she is with fellow author Betty X Davis.

ARA Carmen Oliver, author-illustrator Emma Virjan and authors Shana Burg and Jennifer Ziegler.

K.A. Holt, author of Brains for Lunch: A Zombie Novel in Haiku?! (Roaring Brook, 2010), models her latest zombie accessory.

Afterward, about 20 of us ended up next door at the Shoal Creek Saloon. Here's Greg, next to newcomer Sara Pennypacker, across from Bethany Hegedus, Sara Kocek (the newest face at the Writers' League of Texas), and Margo Rabb.

Link of the Week: check out Libba Bray's latest cover from Professor Nana.

Blessed Grand Prize Giveaway

Enter to win the Blessed grand prize giveaway from Cynsations! The prize package includes: final hardcover of Blessed (Candlewick, 2011); magnetic Sanguini's menu wipe board with pen that reads, "Stop in for a late-night bite;" Sanguini's magnet; laminated poster from the movie "Dracula," (1931); dragon finger puppet; wolf finger puppet; plush bat stuffed toy; Tantalize postcards; series tie-in buttons; angel wing charm; and Dracula by Bram Stoker, illustrated by Anne Yvonne Gilbert, retold by Nicky Raven (Templar/Candlewick, 2010)(view an inside spread).

To enter, leave a comment at this post at Blogger or this post at LiveJournal! For an extra entry(s): Post, share, tweet, whatever works: (a) this giveaway and/or (b) the Blessed book trailer and/or a Blessed countdown widget; and include the URL in your comment! Also, make sure to include contact information in case you win. Author-publisher sponsored. U.S./Canada entries only. Deadline: Jan. 31.

The Teen {Book} Scene Blog Tour: Blessed by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Blessed Blog Tour & ARC/Prize Package Giveaways by Kari from The Teen {Book} Scene (enter at the links below for more chances to win--multiple prizes available!):
  • an interview with Quincie from Bookworming in the 21rst Century; peek: "Blessed proved to be a thrilling continuation of the series by highlighting Quincie's dire situation and her transformation as not only a neophyte but as a stronger, more assertive young woman. "
  • my guest post, Bringing Together the Casts of Tantalize and Eternal from The Book Scout; peek: "In Blessed, heroes from Eternal may be found in Sanguini’s, the vampire-themed restaurant in Tantalize. Likewise, Quincie steps fully, for the first time, into the underworld.
  • Blessed review from Pirate Penguin Reads; peek: "Blessed proved to be a thrilling continuation of the series by highlighting Quincie's dire situation and her transformation as not only a neophyte but as a stronger, more assertive young woman."
  • an interview with Kieren from The Serpentine Library; peek: "or as long as I could recall, I found it boring when she talked about new recipes and napkins. I was polite, but…Then one day, I found every word she said fascinating. Quince herself, fascinating. The way her lips moved… She could talk about napkins forever, and I’d be thrilled to hear it."
  • author interview with Cynthia Leitich Smith from Mundie Moms; peek: "Don’t ever let fear stop your art—especially if you’re writing horror."
Truth Be Told Blessed Countdown & Giveaways

Blessed Online Countdown Event by Valorie from Truth Be Told. Valorie will be posting reviews, book trailers, teaser excerpts, and fun author-and-character interviews. She's giving away two bookplate-autographed copies of Blessed, each with a Magnetic Sanguini's menu wipe board and pen (see photo above). She's also giving away one board to (a) a random commenter and another to (b) "a person who helps promote the release of the book, randomly chosen based on tweets, adding it to goodreads, and blogging. It will go to someone who didn't win the hardcover." Giveaway deadline: 11 p.m. PST Jan. 24. See details.

Embracing My Spooky Side: a guest post by Cynthia Leitich Smith. Peek: "I had no interest in violent, slasher flicks, though I enjoyed more atmospheric films (with plots) like "Poltergeist" (1982) and "The Witches of Eastwick" (1987). The latter-featuring Jack Nicholson as the devil-especially appealed to me because of its female-empowerment reversal at the end."

In Valorie's review of Tantalize, she says: "The last few chapters of Tantalize were my favorite. This is where you see Quincie show who she really is. These last few chapters are also packed with suspense and action, much of which is unexpected."

Blessed Launch Party

Joint Launch Party: Blessed by Cynthia Leitich Smith (Candlewick) and Night School by Mari Mancusi (Berkley) book party and signing at 2 p.m. Jan. 29 at BookPeople in Austin. Event will include author talks, Q&A, refreshments and signing. Wear red and black if you're on the side of Evil or blue and black if you're on the side of Good. Bonus points (and possible prize) to anyone who dresses up as a vampire, shape shifter, vampire slayer, angel or faerie!

Last call! Comment here for a chance to win an autographed copy of Night School! Deadline: Jan. 21.

More Spooky Events

Blessed In-Person Author Tour Schedule in Central Texas and the Northeastern U.S.: sponsored by Candlewick Press. Are you in Austin, New York, New Jersey, or the Philly area? Come join me along the way!

12th Annual Southwest Florida Reading Festival will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 19 in Fort Myers, Florida. Note: speakers include Cynthia Leitich Smith.

SCBWI-Wisconsin Novel Revision Workshop with author Cynthia Leitich Smith from March 25 to March 27. Note: "Registration is limited to 25 persons."

Monday, January 17, 2011

The Teen {Book} Scene Blog Tour: Blessed by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Coordinated by Kari

Monday, January 17: Kristen at Bookworming in the 21st Century (Character Interview: Quincie)

Tuesday, January 18: Kelsey at The Book Scout
(Guest Post: Connecting Eternal and Tantalize to Blessed)

Wednesday, January 19: Sandy at Pirate Penguin Reads (Review)

Thursday,
January 20: Maria at The Serpentine Library (Character Interview: Kieren)

Friday,
January 21: Stacy at Girls in the Stacks (Review)

Monday, January 24: Lisa at Badass Bookie (Guest Post: Secondary Characters)

Tuesday,
January 25: Stacy at Girls in the Stacks (Character Interview: Zachary)

Wednesday,
January 26: Kristen at Bookworming in the 21st Century (Review)

Thursday,
January 27: Kari at A Good Addiction (Ten YA Recommendations)

Friday,
January 28: Sandy at Pirate Penguin Reads (Character Interview: Bradley)

Cynsational Notes

Tour includes Blessed ARC & prize pack (pictured) giveaways! Lots of chances to win!

Special thanks to Kari and all of the host bloggers! I greatly appreciate your time, efforts, and enthusiasm!

Learn more about The Teen {Book} Scene.

Don't miss the Blessed Live Author Tour Schedule (NY, NJ, Philly area, TX, etc.) and Grand Prize Giveaway from Cynsations.

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Blessed by Cynthia Leitich Smith Central Texas & Northeast U.S. Tour Schedule

Please join me on a stop of the Blessed (Candlewick, 2011) tour!

Events that are open to the public are indicated as such on the schedule below!

Also, note that YA authors Mari Mancusi and Daniel Nayeri will be joining me here and there along the way!

Saturday, 1/29/11

2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. BookPeople - launch party with Night School (Blood Coven) author Mari Mancusi (PUBLIC EVENT)

Wear red and black if you're on the side of Evil or blue and black if you're on the side of Good. Bonus points (prize entry) to anyone who dresses up as a vampire, shape shifter, vampire slayer, angel or faerie!

603 North Lamar, Austin, Texas

Sunday, 2/6/11

1 p.m. to 3 p.m. - Books of Wonder - reading/Q&A/signing to public with Another Pan author Daniel Nayeri (PUBLIC EVENT)

18 W. 18th St., New York, N.Y.

Monday, 2/7/11

10 a.m. to 11:34 a.m. Francis Lewis High School

6 p.m. Borders Bookstore - reading/signing (PUBLIC EVENT)

Borders Columbus Circle
10 Columbus Circle, New York, N.Y.

Tuesday, 2/8/11

4 p.m. to 5 p.m. New Brunswick Free Public Library - reading/Q&A/signing (PUBLIC EVENT)

6:20 p.m. to 9 p.m. Rutgers University -- guest lecture, "Materials for Young Adults" -- room 203

School of Communication and Information -- 4 Huntington St., New Brunswick, N.J.

Wednesday, 2/9/11

10 a.m. NYPL Mulberry Branch - visit with schools

10 Jersey Street (Between Lafayette & Mulberry Streets) New York, N.Y.

8 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. New School Creative Writing Graduate Class - guest lecture

66 West 12th Street, between 5th and 6th Avenues

Thursday, 2/10/11

11:15 a.m. to 12 p.m. Brooklyn Public Library - Professional Development Day

Central Library, 10 Grand Army Plaza

4:00 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. Brooklyn Public Library - Will You Be My Paranormal Valentine Party (with teens)(PUBLIC EVENT)

Central Library, 10 Grand Army Plaza

Friday, 2/11/11

2:15 p.m. to 3 p.m. Elisabeth Irwin High School Visit

Little Red School House & Elisabeth Irwin HS, LREI

272 Sixth Avenue, New York, N.Y.

7 p.m. The Voracious Reader - "Will You Be My Paranormal Valentine?" event with Another Pan author Daniel Nayeri (PUBLIC EVENT)

Saturday, 2/12/11

1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Mercer County Library Event -- West Windsor Branch (PUBLIC EVENT)

333 North Post Road, Princeton Junction, N.J.

6:30 p.m. Barnes & Noble, Cherry Hill, N.J. (Greater Philly area)(PUBLIC EVENT)

911 Haddonfield Road, Cherry Hill, N.J.



Not on the Tour? Attention Event Planners!

It's two YA authors for the price of one! Book now for the 2011-2012 school year and beyond!

"From Classics to Contemporary:" a joint presentation offered by Cynthia Leitich Smith, author of the Tantalize series (inspired by Dracula by Bram Stoker (1897)) and Jennifer Ziegler, author of Sass & Serendipity (inspired by Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen (1811)).

The authors will discuss how they were inspired by these classics, why Stoker and Austen's themes are still relevant to teens/YAs today, the ongoing conversation of books over the generations, and much more.

Contact Dayton Bookings for more information and to schedule.

Cynsational Notes

Enter to win the Blessed Grand Prize Giveaway at this post at Blogger or this post at LiveJournal!

Friday, January 14, 2011

Spooky News & Giveaways

Diversity in YA Fiction: founded by YA authors Cindy Pon (Silver Phoenix, Fury of the Phoenix) and Malinda Lo (Ash, Huntress), Diversity in YA seeks to bring attention to MG and YA books featuring people of color and LGBT characters. Peek: "We envision DIYA as a positive, friendly gathering of readers and writers who want to see diversity in their fiction. Every week on our website we'll be featuring books that include diversity, from realistic, contemporary novels to absorbing historicals and adventurous fantasy."

Cindy and Malinda will be on tour to at least four cities in 2011. Authors who'll join them along the way include:


See also Author Bios and Tour Locations pages. Join the mailing list for a final list of locations and more (no more than two emails per month).

More News & Giveaways

Inside the Writer's Studio with Carrie Jones, author of Entice by Bethany Hegedus from Writer Friendly; Bookshelf Approved. Peek: "I want people to be kind to each other, to look past appearance and labels and just love each other. I know! I know! I’m such a hippie throw-back for a police dispatcher, but I mean it."

Cool Down Time: Handling Criticism Effectively by Mary Lindsey from QueryTracker.net. Peek: "Rushing into revisions or reacting immediately when you feel defensive will not only make your revisions less effective, it will potentially alienate you from the very people trying to help you become a better writer."

Two $500 Scholarships for Mystery Writers, given by the annual Helen McCloy/MWA Scholarship program, from April Henry. Deadline: Feb. 28.

Erzsi Deàk Launches HEN & INK – A New Literary Studio and Transmedia Company from Austin SCBWI. Peek: "With a growing list of prize-winning clients and new voices from around the world, president and founder of Hen & Ink, Erzsi Deàk, meets often with publishers in the U.S. and U.K. and aggressively markets domestic and foreign rights." Note: post includes submission guidelines and manuscript areas of interest.

Lost in Translation, or using symbols when writing multicultural fantasy by Grace Lin from The Enchanted Ink Pot. Peek: "Making assumptions is particularly treacherous when writing multicultural fantasy. An author wants to make fantasy feel authentic to the culture they are nodding to, yet still build a world that takes a reader away from reality."

Deepening Your Characters Needs by Stina Lindenblatt from Query Tracker. Peek: "...the pyramid is divided into five levels. The needs on the bottom level (physiological) have to be satisfied before you can worry about those in the next level (safety and security). Same deal with the third level (love and belonging). The needs in the first two levels have to be dealt with first. This idea continues all the way to the top of the pyramid, to self-actualization." See also Personality: Creating Real Characters by Darcy Pattison from Fiction Notes.

Where Do Ideas Come From? by Brian Yansky from Brian's Blog: Writer Talk. Peek: "I like to say I get them in a little store out in West Texas somewhere near Marfa." Note: Brian's Blog is smart, wry, and conversational. Highly recommended.

Free Books Aren't Free by Saundra Mitchell from Making Up Stuff for a Living. Peek: "I don’t blame my publisher. There’s weak demand for my books, according to my sales figures. Meanwhile, 800 copies of my book (worth about $1200 toward my advance, if everyone paid for a copy) are being downloaded a week." Note: Saundra's Shadowed Summer (Delacorte, 2009) is highly recommended. Honors include: 2009 Junior Library Guild Selection, 2009 ALAN Pick, 2010 Edgar Nominee (Best YA Mystery), 2010 Society of Midland Authors Book Award (Best Children's), 2010 VOYA Summer Reading List. Please vote for more books by Saundra by buying/ordering it or checking it out of your local library. Learn about her upcoming release, The Vespertine (Harcourt, 2011).

Applying the Women-in-Movies Test to Race-in-Stories by Mitali Perkins from Mitali's Fire Escape. Note: give both a try. Consider the books you write, the books you read.

More Personally

An Open Love Letter to Debut Authors About Hurtful Online Reviews by Cynthia Leitich Smith from Cynsations. See also Writers and Depression by Nancy Etchemendy from the Horror Writers Association. Note: I'm re-running both of these links periodically.

Whether you're someone who prays or sends good thoughts, please send them to L.K. Madigan and her family.

Booklist says of Blessed: "Sure, the vampires, werewolves, and angels provide the lure, but Smith’s obvious affection for her characters makes this more.... Pretty lengthy, but if this is your cup of tea, you’ll relish it."

I was jazzed to see a Blessed poster at the Candlewick booth in Mary Kole's ALA Midwinter Report at Kidlit.com.

Reminder: Blessed by Cynthia Leitich Smith ARC giveaway by P.J. "Tricia" Hoover from Roots in Myth. Note: extra ARC added to giveaway! Two copies available! Deadline: tonight! - midnight Jan. 14.

Local Link of the Week: Donating Books to the Austin Children's Shelter by Stephanie from Stephanie, A History.

Blessed Grand Prize Giveaway

Enter to win the Blessed grand prize giveaway from Cynsations! The prize package includes: final hardcover of Blessed (Candlewick, 2011); magnetic Sanguini's menu wipe board with pen that reads, "Stop in for a late-night bite;" Sanguini's magnet; laminated poster from the movie "Dracula," (1931); dragon finger puppet; wolf finger puppet; plush bat stuffed toy; Tantalize postcards; series tie-in buttons; angel wing charm; and Dracula by Bram Stoker, illustrated by Anne Yvonne Gilbert, retold by Nicky Raven (Templar/Candlewick, 2010)(view an inside spread).

To enter, leave a comment at this post at Blogger or this post at LiveJournal!

For an extra entry(s): Post, share, tweet, whatever works:

(a) this giveaway and/or (b) the Blessed book trailer and/or a Blessed countdown widget;

and include the URL in your comment!

Also, make sure to include contact information in case you win. Author-publisher sponsored. U.S./Canada entries only. Deadline: Jan. 31.

Truth Be Told Blessed Countdown & Giveaway

Blessed Online Countdown Event by Valorie from Truth Be Told. Valorie will be posting reviews, book trailers, teaser excerpts, and fun author-and-character interviews. She's giving away two bookplate-autographed copies of Blessed, each with a Magnetic Sanguini's menu wipe board and pen. She's also giving away one board to (a) a random commenter and another to (b) "a person who helps promote the release of the book, randomly chosen based on tweets, adding it to goodreads, and blogging. It will go to someone who didn't win the hardcover." Giveaway deadline: 11 p.m. PST Jan. 24. See details.

See Teaser Tuesday (features two short excerpts from Tantalize) and an Interview with Cynthia Leitich Smith (features, short, romantic excerpt from Blessed) from Valorie from Truth Be Told. Peek: "Both of the previous novels end with calls to action, either express or implied. Loose ends, if you will, that I wanted to more fully address, and I felt that both of those characters [Quincie and Zachary] deserved the chance to reach their full potential."

Cynsational Events

Jessica Lee Anderson will speak on seven things she's learned through her publishing journey...using songs at the Austin SCBWI monthly meeting at 11 a.m. Jan. 15 at BookPeople in Austin. Read an interview with Jessica and P.J. Hoover.

Joint Launch Party: Blessed by Cynthia Leitich Smith (Candlewick) and Night School by Mari Mancusi (Berkley) book party and signing at 2 p.m. Jan. 29 at BookPeople in Austin.

Event will include author talks, Q&A, refreshments and signing.

Wear red and black if you're on the side of Evil or blue and black if you're on the side of Good.

Bonus points (and possible prize) to anyone who dresses up as a vampire, shape shifter, vampire slayer, angel or faerie!

Comment here for a chance to win an autographed copy of Night School! Deadline: Jan. 21.

Note: Mari will be signing all the Blood Coven books at the Pflugerville, Texas HEB (1434 Wells Branch Pkwy) from noon to 2 p.m. Jan. 15. She'll also be giving away bookmarks.