Relief for Oklahoma

The Lucky 13s have joined forces with the Friday the Thirteeners and the Enchanted Inkpot to help those affected by the Oklahoma tornado. To that end, we are offering up a large giveaway. "Kidlit Authors for Oklahoma" is starting today and will run for 2 weeks.  

By donating to Red Cross, you can enter for your chance to win 1 of 5 book prize bundles or a critique from our authors.

Four Places to Win a Free Copy of BRUISED

1. The Nocturnal Library (six more days to win!)

2. Books, Bones & Buffy (two more days to win!)

3. A Thousand Wrongs (one more day to win!)

4. And coming tomorrow... a chance from YA Fresh

Thanks to Maja, Tammy, Laurisa, and Tina for hosting these giveaways.

And if you strike out this time, check back here in April for at least two more chances!

Happy reading.

Happy Book Birthday, Nonuplet Style!

Here's what people are saying about BRUISED, my contemporary YA novel, out today:

"Offering psychological drama and an introduction to martial-arts code of behavior, the book has a meaningful message about power, control, and the internal bruises carried by victims." —Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Her story is compelling, and readers will stick with her as new insights bring about a believable shift in her behavior…This distinctive debut will be appreciated by fans of contemporary fiction." —Kirkus Reviews 

"This layered first novel explores the aftereffects of the trauma, convincingly depicting why Imogen blames herself for a situation over which she had no control. Skilton also sensitively depicts the bond and tentative romance that develops between Imogen and Ricky. The main story line about Imogen’s struggle to come to terms with what she did (and did not do) is nuanced and honest." —Horn Book

"This is a useful exploration of the difference between fantasy-style omnipotence and the complexity of real-life human strength." —Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

Here are 8 more Young Adult and Middle Grade books in early March I'm celebrating...

1. Miranda Kenneally's THINGS I CAN'T FORGET
2. Mindee Arnett's THE NIGHTMARE AFFAIR
3. Evan Roskos' DR. BIRD’S ADVICE FOR SAD POETS
4. Tamera Wissinger's GONE FISHING
5. Steven dos Santos' THE CULLING 
6. Chad Morris' CRAIGBRIDGE HALL BOOK 1: THE INVENTOR’S SECRET
7. Bridget Zinn's POISON
8. Jessica Brody's UNREMEMBERED

Happiest of Book Birthdays to all!

Teen Author Reading Night Tomorrow at Downtown Los Angeles Public Library

On Thursday, February 28th (tomorrow!), I'll be participating in the LAPL's Teen Author Reading Night alongside Amy Spalding (THE REECE MALCOLM LIST), Jessica Brody (UNREMEMBERED), and Michelle Gagnon (DONT TURN AROUND), and hosted by Cecil Castellucci.

We'll be reading excerpts from our new novels, chatting about books in general, and answering questions. Tomorrow also marks the one-year anniversary of the downtown library's Teen Author Reading Nights program. Doors open at 6:30; event starts at 7pm.

Thanks to Mary McCoy for helping to organize it!

Click here for more information. Hope you can make it!

Creating Great Dialogue in YA Books

What were you up to in fall of 2011? I apparently did an online video interview with Author Learning Center. It was uploaded this past week, so care to take a trip down memory lane with me?

In the below video, I discuss writing dialogue in YA books.

Fun facts: In late 2011, I was pregnant and had very short hair. I know! Crazy!

"What the...?!" Wednesday #3: What Goes Into Planning a Launch Party?

I should probably explain what a launch party is first.

A launch party is a way for an author to celebrate the release of his or her book and get the word out to the community that a local writer has made good [aka lives among them and can't be trusted not to eavesdrop]. The party takes place at a book store so the author can sign copies for friends, family, and (gasp) strangers.

Some authors like to include a reading or Q&A session before the signing. Some authors provide raffles, trivia games, or other entertainment. Some authors offer champagne, wine, and snacks. Some authors -- wait. I think nightly readings of The Mommy Book by Todd Parr have bled over into my syntax. Anyway, you get the idea.

So!

Planning a launch party requires advance prep work. I live in the suburbs, and I really wanted to celebrate the launch of BRUISED at my local bookstore. The Valencia Barnes & Noble is a warm, inviting place I go to almost every week. I also attend monthly SCBWI shmoozes there, so I knew I'd feel comfortable throwing the party there, and that memories of the event would make me smile in the future while browsing the stacks or hitting up Saturday story time with my son.

Even though my book doesn't come out until March 5, I contacted the community relations manager, Joelle, last November to introduce myself and my book, and ask if the store might host me.

Because the holidays are crazy in retail, we agreed to discuss the details after the new year. In the meantime, Joelle graciously booked me for Saturday, March 16th, so I could begin spreading the word.

Once January rolled around, Joelle and I got together in person to go over some basics. I brought her a copy of BRUISED for her and her staff to read (they're apparently big YA fans, yay!), a review I'd recently gotten from Publishers Weekly, and some postcards.

Barnes & Noble would be putting up posters in the window to advertise, and I offered to print fresh bookmarks for customers to take home in the month leading up to the launch.

There were also a few smaller items that needed discussing, like decorations, table cloths, gift bags, chair locations, book displays, etc. Joelle gave me a list of people worth contacting, which was an enormous help. She knows all the local librarians and book club organizers, and she even got me in touch with the host of a radio show about the arts in Santa Clarita.

I've been gathering fun items to raffle off, including signed swag and even a few ARCs from fellow 2013 debut authors Amy Spalding, Kristen Kittscher, Cat Winters, Elisabeth Dahl, Rachele Alpine, Nicole McInnes, Polly Holyoke, and more. I'm really looking forward to the celebration!

If you live in or near Los Angeles, consider this your invite. My launch party takes place on Saturday, March 16th from 1 to 3 pm at the Valencia, CA Barnes & Noble.

Hope to see you there!

Cruisin' for a Bruisin' (Sorry. Really.) BRUISED Links

Here's my latest book news:

1. BRUISED received a starred review from Publishers Weekly.

2. The book comes out in 1 month! You can pre-order it all sorts of ways.

3. I have one last ARC (advance readers copy) and I'm giving it away on GoodReads.

4. Read an exclusive excerpt from the book at Alice Marvel's site.

5. "Readers in Wonderland" blog reviewed BRUISED as part of their Debut Author Challenge series.

6. If you take a picture of BRUISED out in the wild (aka at a library or a bookstore) and send it to me, I'll mail you a limited edition signed bookmark. (Limited edition because I ran out of money.) (But they look really cool.)

To get a bookmark, just tweet me the photo, post it on my Facebook Page, or email it to me: bruisedbook [at] gmail [dot] com

"What The...?!" Wednesday #2: What is ALA, and What is the ALA Conference?

Funny you should ask, as I happen to have spent this weekend at the ALA Conference in Seattle.

There will be pictures and everything. Hold on to your hats!

(Okay but seriously feel free to jump in with your own questions anytime. This one's kind of a gimmee.) ------>

Anyway, ALA stands for the American Library Association, and the ALA Conference is a week-long event in which librarians, publishers, authors, book reviewers, book bloggers, school teachers, publicists, marketing directors, avid readers, and even library suppliers (those enormous "return" bins outside libraries have to come from somewhere) meet up at a convention to discuss the state of the industry from several angles.

Me and Mom outside our hotel in Seattle

The conference I attended was the Midwinter Meeting and Exhibition. The ALA Annual will occur June 27 - July 2 in Chicago.

Some publishers use their booth to give away advance copies of their upcoming books, plus posters, calendars, and other swag. Others host book signings and buzz panels to showcase established authors or introduce debut authors to the world.

Image Blatantly Stolen from AbramsKids Instagram

My Very First Book Signing! Photo Credit: Mom

Bonus WTW Question: Why on earth would publishers want to give away free copies of their yet-to-be released books to hundreds, nay, thousands of librarians?

Bonus WTW Answer: In the hopes that those librarians will fall in love and purchase final copies for their libraries.

Bonus, Bonus Answer: Forging personal connections with librarians isn't just good business, it's fun.

My publisher, Abrams/Amulet, very generously arranged for me (BRUISED), Cat Winters (IN THE SHADOW OF BLACKBIRDS), Patrick Jennings (BAT AND RAT), Tom Angleberger (FAKE MUSTACHE, Art2 D2), Nikki McClure (HOW TO BE A CAT), and Margi Preus (SHADOW ON THE MOUTAIN) to participate in the convention.

I've never done a book signing or spoken publicly to strangers about my book, so needless to say, I was excited but nervous. Luckily, I had a secret weapon: my mom, a former librarian, traveled with me. Yay, Mom, you're the best!

We had a lovely time, and I'm grateful to the Abrams team -- Maggie Lehrman, Jason Wells, Cecily Kaiser, and Laura Milhalick -- for including me in the festivities.

Jason, Cecily, and Maggie Introduce the Spring '13 Catalog

I spoke at a book buzz panel, a librarian luncheon, and a local bookseller dinner. I also signed copies of BRUISED at the awesome Abrams booth, and flew home with a bag full of books from throughout the exhibit hall.

Want more scoop from ALA Midwinter? Check out Cat Winters' blog for her take on the weekend.

Cat Winters (IN THE SHADOW OF BLACKBIRDS) and me outside the Abrams Buzz Panel

"What The...?!" Wednesday #1: Why Does Publishing Take So Long?

Oh, does it take long? I hadn't noticed.

Har. Hee! Whee.

Back in early 2011, when I jumped up and down and told my friends and family I'd sold my book, they thought that meant it was going to be in bookstores within the month. "When can I get it?" they asked, sweetly, naively. "Next week?"

"Spring 2013," I said, and felt a perverse joy in watching their eyes glaze over.

"Whaaaaa? Why does it take so long?"

My experience happens to be with traditional publishing, so I can only speak to that, but I hope this proves informative to other writers and their anxious loved ones.

The short, simplified answer is: quality control. And thank goodness for it.

A manuscript isn't acquired by an editor at a publishing house because it's perfect; it's acquired because the editor likes the raw material and believes she can help shape and mold it into something even better.

Such was the case with my book. Before I signed a publishing contract, I spoke with my agent, Sara Megibow, and my potential editor, Maggie Lehrman, on a conference call so I could get a sense of how Amulet Books worked and what Maggie envisioned for the story. I LOVED her ideas and immediately wished I’d already implemented them.

The first stage of edits consists of general edit notes: the broad ideas about plot, theme, or possibly reworking character arcs, both big and small, throughout the book. That took a few months.

Next up were line edits, which dig in to more detailed, sentence-level edits for meaning and consistency.

After that were copy edits and proofing, which correct word usage, grammar (unless the character voice deliberately eschews it), typos, and redundancies.

Next up: First pass pages! This is exciting because it's the first time you get to see the book's layout: how the finished product will appear, complete with fonts. *YES, I got way too excited about my font.

First pass pages are followed by...you guessed it...second pass pages. And keep in mind I wasn't Maggie's only book, of course. While all this was going on, she was editing several other novels on her list, not to mention reading tons of brand-new submissions.
 
Other talented people were hard at work designing the book's cover and interior art (read my review with Abram's Associate Art Director, Maria Middleton), writing catalog and jacket copy, printing up the ARCs (advance reader copies) for reviewer and/or bloggers, creating marketing plans, and more.

Were there days I wished I could jump ahead to the release date? Sure! But now that it's fast approaching, I find myself grateful that nothing was rushed into publication before it was ready. (And from what I've heard, most writers still go through their published books thinking of things they'd change.)

If I didn't have all that help from the talented people at Amulet, my book wouldn't be half as good as it it's turned out to be. And on March 5, I hope you'll see for yourself how their amazing work paid off!

Introducing "What The...! Wednesdays"

Considering that...

A) It's not Wednesday but Thursday that I'm typing this
B) I have no topics pre-selected for tonight anyway

...I'll understand if the title of this post is confusing. Last year I updated my blog (almost) every Thursday, but for 2013, I'm moving to Wednesdays, for a new series I like to call "What The...! Wednesdays." On "WTW"s, I'll be answering questions about books, publishing, agents, editing, and anything else I feel equipped to explain / pontificate on now that my book is honest-to-God coming out, with a second contracted for 2014, and a third being rough drafted.

Until recently, I didn't feel comfortable writing advice posts because I didn't believe I had the authority or experience to talk about publishing. Not saying I'm suddenly an expert, but I have learned A LOT over the past couple of years and I think it'd be fun to answer questions for those who are starting out or want to know more about the process of becoming a traditionally published author.

On that note, feel free to send me questions via Twitter or email, and I'll post my answers on the blog every(ish) Wednesday. If I don't know the answer, I'll find someone in publishing who does, and interview them on the topic.

In other news, I joined Sleuths, Spies & Alibis, a fabulous resource for teachers, librarians, writers, and mystery/thriller fans of all ages.

I also continue to be active at the Lucky 13s blog, where we're celebrating our debut year (AT LAAAAAAAAST) in style. Check out our frequently updated Appearances page to find out when a Lucky 13s author will be signing books or speaking on a panel near you!

See you next Wednesday, Mousketeers.

Art Designer Maria Middleton Talks About The Cover for BRUISED & More!

I'm extremely excited to post the following behind-the-scenes interview with Maria T. Middleton, the talented Associate Art Director at Abrams Books.

Welcome, Maria!

Before I ever knew she'd be designing the cover for my book, I'd admired her breathtaking work on such stand-out titles as SHINE and BLISS by Lauren Myracle, SPLINTERED by AG Howard, and ONE DAY AND ONE AMAZING MORNING ON ORANGE STREET by Joanne Rocklin. Check them out:

Here's Maria in her own words about her process, and how she came up with the cover for my martial arts-themed book, BRUISED (below, available March 5th!)

How did you get started in art design? Was it something you always hoped to pursue?
I was always one of those "artsy" kids, but didn't really get into graphic design until high school. I was the editor of my high school yearbook, so in addition to writing articles, I was also responsible for the theme and design of the book: creating spreads, placing photos, text, captions, sidebars, etc. (Which is pretty much what I do now!) Aside from appealing to my slightly OCD personality, I loved the creative process of bringing stories to life. Having this foundation, I went to art school and knew design was what I wanted to pursue.  

Did you have a favorite book cover growing up?
Yes! The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi. I thought the illustrated Charlotte Doyle—with her blue eyes and 80s wind-blown brown hair—was SO pretty. (I think I actually took the paperback with me to the hair dressed and said, I want my hair to look like that.) It's still one of my favorite novels.

Which covers stand out for you today as being particularly remarkable, evocative, or beautiful?
Oh, there are so many! One of my favorites is the Beautiful Creatures series designed by David Caplan. The third book in the series, Beautiful Chaos, literally called to me from the shelf in the bookstore. The typography is stunning and the special effects are perfect—especially the soft-touch matte lamination, which makes it impossible to put down. Bunheads, designed by Tracy Shaw, is another great cover, as is Chasing Lincoln's Killer designed by Phil Falco and Lizzy Bromley's insanely, incredible double-sided jacket for The Blessed.  

How many sketches or drafts do you typically go through before a cover is finalized? Have you ever gotten it right with the first try?
It really depends on the project. For Lauren Myracle's Shine, I probably did something like 15 exploratory comps before landing on the right idea. With other projects, like Shelley Coriell's YA novel, Welcome Caller This is Chloe, my first idea ended up becoming the final.  

How many books do you design for Abrams/Amulet a year, and how do you go about designing them? Do you jot down ideas as you're reading, or read first and brainstorm later? How did you go about it for BRUISED?
In the course of a year, I'll design/art direct about 25–30 titles. For novels, I like to read the manuscript first, 1) because I'm a big kid at heart and YA/middle grade fiction is still my favorite, and 2) I think the best ideas for covers come straight from the text. I'll sketch ideas/thoughts while I'm reading and then discuss them with the editor to make sure we're on the same page. I think editorial input is really helpful because most editors have a vision for a project and I like to use that vision as a spring-board for the design. Bruised happened exactly this way.  

Many YA books in the past few years have used headless models, or partial images of teenage girls. Your cover for BRUISED is symbolic rather than literal, which I absolutely love. How did you come up with the broken trophy concept for BRUISED?
First off: I love this story! I took Tae Kwon Do as a kid, so Imogen's character appealed to me immediately. After reading an early manuscript, I knew there were three things I wanted to convey with the cover: the female narration, the sense of loss/brokenness, and the martial arts angle. My first comps were actually more literal and less symbolic, but I changed course after talking to the book's fabulous editor, Maggie Lehrman, who wanted something very iconic. So I started browsing stock photos for visual metaphors for martial arts, which is where I came across the trophy.

On its own, the trophy checked two of my three requirements—I just needed to add the element of brokenness. Separating the limbs from the body seemed like the most obvious way to show brokenness, so I didn't explore that right away. At first I tried making the trophy look rusted, then corroded, then burned, but those effects started to muddy the graphic approach. In the end, the clean breaks worked best. And splaying the limbs at weird angles rounded out the idea.

How important are colors when setting a tone, mood, and style? What mood were you hoping to evoke for BRUISED by using a gradient blue background, red title font, and a gold trophy? Are there any colors you generally stay away from?
Color is a powerful tool, ranking right up there with concept, composition, and typography. There really aren't any colors that I specifically avoid, but I do gravitate toward complimentary and primary color schemes, which I used for Bruised. Because the trophy is an orangey-gold, I knew it would pop on a darker background. Solid black was striking, but seemed a little too heavy, so I replaced it with blue (orange's compliment) and the gradient adds depth and brings the focus right to the trophy. It also gives a subtle sense of rising or transformation, which is key to Imogen's journey. I will admit that red is my favorite color (so use it a lot!), but I chose red for the display (or title) type because it vibrates ever so slightly on the blue background, and that creates a sense of tension that prepares readers for the story within.  

Something I never realized until going through the publishing process is that art designers don't just focus on covers, but inside elements as well. Tell us a little bit about the inside design for BRUISED. How do you go about choosing fonts, spacing, chapter headings, page number placement, etc.? What factors go into your decisions?
As a book designer, it's my job to ensure that a book feels like a package deal. I view design as the glue that aesthetically holds a book together. Continuity in design can add to the storytelling process when all of a book's elements (fonts, end papers, margins, jacket effects, folios, etc.) work together to carry the theme of the book from cover to cover.

For novels, the design process almost always begins with the cover, so a book's interior should feel like an extension of the cover. With Bruised, the cover is minimal and graphic, so I wanted the interior to mirror that aesthetic. Being the typography-nerd that I am, I like to believe that the main body font sets the tone for the text, so I always begin there. I wanted a more angular, slightly modern serif that would pair well with Democratica, the display type, so I chose Spectrum (designed in 1952 by Jan van Krimpen) because it has those qualities as well as a vulnerability that seemed fitting for Imogen's character. The chapter pages are very minimal, containing just one illustrated element: the blood spatter from the cover. I reused the display type for the chapter numbers and folios because the Democratica letterforms are quirky and add visual interest.

As a reader and designer, I love generous margins, so I always try to incorporate that into my design. But with Bruised in particular, I wanted to balance the tension of the cover with a delicate lightness that would flow from page to page.

I would say you did a fabulous job, Maria. Thanks so much for answering my questions, and for creating such a terrific cover for BRUISED!

Year in Review: 2012

This year, I ...

1) Reproduced

The End!

Okay, while that was more than enough excitement for the year, it would also make this my shortest blog post ever, which means I may as well have Tweeted it instead (and probably will).

So here are some more stats.

This year, I...

1) Reproduced

2) Sold my second Young Adult novel, High and Dry, to Amulet Books

3) Read 46 books (27 Young Adult or Middle Grade; 2 Non-Fiction;13 Adult; 4 Graphic Novels). Next year I hope to read more Non-Fiction as that's usually a bigger category for me.

4) Interviewed four Young Adult and MG novelists (Sarvenaz Tash, Trish Doller, Diana Renn, and Katie McGarry and Natalie Bahm) about their fantastic debuts for the Lucky 13s blog and my own blog (YOU ARE HERE)

5) Hosted a guest post and giveaway for Samuel Park and his wonderful novel, This Burns My Heart

6) Wrote an essay about Malinda Lo's Ash for the LA Review of Books

7) Wrote three guest posts (A "Day in the Life" post for Sophia Chang's series; "How Do You Choose a Narrator?" for Lisa Gail Green's blog; and A Tribute to Hollis Resnik for Amy Spalding's Musical Theatre Monday Series)

8) Revealed Maria T. Middleton's beautiful cover for my Young Adult novel, Bruised (in stores 3/5/13!)

9) Joined SCBWI

10) Made some new friends who graciously shared advise and writerly comfort (waves to Cat Winters, Elisabeth Dahl, Shelley Coriell, Anita Grace Howard, and Ann Stampler)

11) Cried approx. 17,000 times from exhaustion, joy, grief, and as a general hobby

12) Other Things I Don't Remember Right Now

Did you blog a year in review for 2012? Link me in the comments below. I'd love to read about it.

And if we don't talk till 2013, Happy New Year!

Interview with THE SECRET UNDERGROUND's Natalie Bahm

Need to find a great kids' book for the holidays? Look no further than Natalie Bahm's middle-grade contemporary adventure, THE SECRET UNDERGROUND:

Twelve-year-old Ally is the only witness to a bank robbery in her small town. Unable to block out the memory of the robbers, a notorious gang known as the Gauze Men, Ally joins her little brother and a bunch of neighborhood boys digging a hole in her backyard. Only the hole isn't just a hole - it's a massive set of tunnels snaking beneath the neighborhood and heading for an abandoned steel mill. Ally is old enough to know the danger, but she reasons spending time with sixth-grade heartthrob Paul is more fun than sitting at home with her worries. And dangerous it is - none of the kids' parents realize the tunnels exist, but the Gauze Men might.

Not only is the story a heart-pounding read, but all proceeds of the book go to help a sick baby. 

LASTLY! If you're an aspiring writer with a finished OR unfinished manuscript, you must check out Natalie's blog, where our mutual agent, Sara Megibow, is offering a 50-page critique in honor of Natalie's debut. It runs through December 12, so hurry over there for details. 

And then hurry back and read my interview with Natalie, who is one of the most genuinely kind and talented people I know.  I hope you enjoy our chat (picture us with mugs of cocoa, next to a fire). (It wouldn't be accurate, but that's the feel I wish to evoke.)

What sparked the idea for THE SECRET UNDERGROUND? 

My dad used to tell us stories about when he was a kid.  He lived in a tiny town in Idaho and he and his friends got into all sorts of mischief, including digging tunnels and caves in a vacant lot down the street. I was kind of fascinated with digging when I was a kid too, only my parents wouldn't let us dig tunnels (for good reason!), so when I grew up I wrote about them instead. :)

The Gauze Men bank robbers are so vivid and creepy -- how did you come up with them?

I think they were probably partially based on the bad guys in GOONIES.  In the first drafts of the book there was only one Gauze Man.  The other two came in later.

Was the town you grew up in anything like the town in the story? I found the abandoned mill to be particularly poignant.

Not much--unfortunately I grew in a pretty big town totally devoid of steel mills.  But I lived in the foothills and the kids in my neighborhood were always building secret forts up in the hills behind our houses.  I think the mill idea came from Geneva Steel, a gigantic steel mill that used to sit right on I-5. We'd drive past it on trips to Utah and I was always blown away by its size. It was demolished a few years ago and there was a feature about it in the newspaper with tons of cool pictures.  I remember thinking it would have been the perfect place to hide out.

What were your favorite books when you were Ally's age?

When I was a little younger I was obsessed with everything by Roald Dahl.   I read Number The Stars in fourth or fifth grade and it started a bit of a war book binge. I think by the time I was Ally's age I was kind of a reluctant reader.

Are there any special songs, films, or books that you turned to for inspiration or creative renewal when writing UNDERGROUND?

GOONIES for sure.  I think I was reading mostly YA while I wrote it, so that might have contributed to the little romance. 

The ending is extremely tense -- without giving anything away, did you find your heart racing as you wrote? Did you ever worry the children were in too much jeopardy?

It is tense!  I think I definitely had some heart-racing moments while I was writing it.  The funny thing is it didn't start out that way.  The first ending I wrote was actually kind of light and funny.  I think I rewrote the ending about a hundred times by the time the book came out. The current ending might be too scary for some kids!  My ten-year-old niece told me she had to sleep in her parents room after finishing it! Luckily my daughter and my eight-year-old nephew thought it was awesome.

Ally sometimes finds it easier to relate to the boys than the girls. Did the same hold true for you? Were you ever a tomboy growing up?

My best friend in kindergarten was a boy. We never fought.  We just had adventures and played nice.  He moved away in first grade and after he left all my friends were (very drama crazy) girls. I think I always kind of missed him and the simplicity of our friendship.

Did you draw a map of the town or the tunnels to keep everything straight in your head (or even just for fun?)

I think I did early on.  It was a make-believe town so it was hard to remember where everything was in relation to everything else.

You held a successful auction for baby Jayden. How did the idea to sell your book for charity come about? 

I actually decided to do the book before we had the auction.  I'd been talking to Jayden's grandma and hearing about all the horrible things his family was going through--struggling to make ends meet at the same time as their sweet baby was fighting for his life. It hadn't been very long since I'd had a sick baby in the hospital, so I could kind of relate. I just couldn't imagine dealing with financial stress at  a time like that. I felt like I really needed to do something to help.  I called Sara and asked if we could use THE SECRET UNDERGROUND as a fundraiser and she thought it was a great idea.  But, even though we put it together really fast, it took 5 months to get the book out.  While we were working on it, I decided to do the fundraiser so we could get the family some money sooner. The auction was a great success and helped them through some of the toughest months they'd had.

Can you give us an update on Jayden's health at the moment? 

I'm so happy to have good news to report. He's doing really well now!  He's had a couple of very scary hospital visits in the last six months--one where his family was almost certain they'd lose him.  But Jayden is so tough!  He miraculously recovered and even gained a little weight and now he's home and healthier than he's ever been.  He's still tiny.  At two, he weighs less than twenty pounds. Plus, his immune system is weak so any illness sends him straight to the ICU. He's nowhere close to out of the woods yet, but he's doing well for now.  His family is so, so grateful for all the love they've been shown from people all over the world. It means so much to them to hear how people they don't even know are buying books to support Jayden.

Happy Holidays, Natalie, and thanks so much for (metaphorically) sitting down with me.

Upcoming Author-y Events

Here goes!

1) This Saturday, December 1st - I'll be handing out Bruised postcards (with invites to my book launch) at the 6th Annual Santa Clarita Arts & Literacy Festival. If you live in the area, please stop by and say hi. I'd love to see you! BONUS: Laurisa White Reyes (Rock of Ivanore) will be doing a reading and signing.

2) January 26-27, 2013, I'm doing two book signings at ALA Midwinter in Seattle with fellow Amulet author Cat Winters (In the Shadow of Blackbirds). Exact dates and times to come. BONUS: Tom Angleberger (The Strange Case of Origami Yoda) will be at ALA, too!

HIGH AND DRY Sells to Amulet Books

My second novel, a Young Adult mystery called High and Dry, sold to Maggie Lehrman at Amulet Books!

Here is the fancy Publishers Marketplace listing, 'cause it ain't real till PM announces it:

Author of BRUISED Sarah Skilton's HIGH AND DRY, set in a California desert town in which a high school soccer player is framed for a stranger's near-fatal overdose, blackmailed into uncovering a missing flash drive, and pressured to throw the big game, all while trying to win back the girl of his dreams, again to Maggie Lehrman at Amulet, in a nice deal, for publication in 2014, by Sara Megibow of Nelson Literary Agency (World).

I've lived in L.A. since 1999, so it was only a matter of time before I tried my hand at a sun-soaked mystery.

Did you know?
Living in L.A. eventually turns you into a private detective.

Huge thanks to my agent Sara Megibow, my beta readers, the Writing Night peeps, and my friends and family for their support. I'm thrilled to be working with Maggie again.

It's been enormously fun researching mysteries, and I hope you enjoy reading High and Dry as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Thanksgiving Giveaway: Five-Book Prize Pack, Contemporary YA!

This year I'm grateful for so many things. Most of all, I'm grateful for the birth of my beautiful son, my husband Joe for being a terrific dad and supportive partner, and our parents for helping us out in every conceivable way. (Waves to both sets of Mom and Dad.) Publishing-wise, I'm grateful to the four authors who read and blurbed* my debut novel, Bruised, which comes out March 2013.

To thank them, I'm giving away copies of their latest books, plus a signed ARC of Bruised, over at YA Books Central, starting today and going through Mid-December.

I highly encourage you to enter the give-away so you can read their amazing books! They are my contemporary YA heroes, and I can't thank them enough for their kind words, below:

"The kind of book that keeps you up late at night and lingers long after you've turned the last page. Imogen's struggle in the aftermath of trauma is brutal in a raw, beautiful way. I loved everything about it."
—Trish Doller, author of Something Like Normal

"Raw and real, Bruised is an important read for all teens, especially those who feel they’ve lost their way. This beautiful book sows the true power of sports."
—Miranda Kenneally, author of Catching Jordan and Stealing Parker

"A powerful, gripping portrait of one girl's struggle to survive a violent tragedy... Sarah Skilton brings her heroine to a place of self-forgiveness and healing with extraordinary realism and humanity."
—Mariah Fredericks, author of The Girl in the Park

"A poignant look at a family groping to come together; an offbeat romance with charm and heat; and a heart-rending but ultimately triumphant story of a girl reclaiming her life. Absolutely absorbing!"
—Ann Stampler, author of Where it Began

Have a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving holiday, with lots of pumpkin pie!

*most awkward word of all time?

Super Cheesy Post About Dreams, Etc.

Today, the Spring 2013 Abrams Kids' catalog went live.

Abrams is a publishing house known for its breathtaking artwork (their byline is "The Art of Books Since 1949"). Flip through the catalog and you'll see why.

When my agent Sara and I accepted the offer for BRUISED in 2011, my editor Maggie sent me a lovely welcome basket of books, as well as the latest Abrams Kids catalog. I immediately began dreaming of seeing my cover listed in those pages. I still have that first catalog, and a subsequent one I swiped while in New York two summers ago. They're on my bookshelf, and soon, they'll be joined by a third!

Thanks for letting me gush without irony today.

Kidlit Cares & YA for NJ - Helping Out Victims of Hurricane Sandy

Love to read?

Want to help out victims of Hurricane Sandy?

Head over right now to Kate Messner's Kidlit Cares auction (many bids close tomorrow, 11/9).

If you've missed the chance to bid, check out Kieran Scott's YA for NJ Facebook Page for updates on their brand-new auction, set to launch November 16th. As of this afternoon, more than 80 amazing YA and MG authors are donating signed books.

Upcoming Giveaways for BRUISED

My ARCs for BRUISED arrived on Monday!

[insert crickets]

What's an ARC, you ask? It stands for advance reader's copy. It's the almost-final-but-not-quite version of my book, printed like a paperback and sent to critics and reviewers in advance of the publishing date (which in my case is March 2013).

If you're a librarian, book seller, blogger, or reviewer, feel free to request a copy at my website. I'll forward the request to my publisher (no guarantees, but we'll do our best to accomodate you). For those who prefer to read online, BRUISED will be available on NetGalley in November.

If you don't fall into any of the above categories but you'd like a sneak peek at BRUISED, here are three opportunities to win one:

1) My first giveaway will be Monday, October 27th, at Iceybooks, alongside my Amulet sibling Cat Winters, who'll be giving away a copy of her debut IN THE SHADOW OF BLACKBIRDS.

2) My second giveaway will be the week of Thanksgiving, and will include copies of books by the wonderful authors who blurbed BRUISED, including (drumroll...) Miranda Kenneally, Trish Doller, Mariah Fredericks, and Ann Stampler!

3) In January, I'll be doing a signing at the Amulet booth for ALA Midwinter in Seattle, whee.

4) If you carjack me on the 405 you'll end up with a copy because I keep one in my work bag.

New Library Opening

I hate to brag, but my 8-month-old son was invited to the social event of the weekend last week, and he took me as his plus one. (Okay, everyone in town was invited. And he needed me to dress him, drive him, and wheel him around. But my point remains.)

I'm talking about the New Old Town Newhall* Library grand opening.

 

There was a street festival too, but we skipped it in favor of air-conditioning. The New Old Town Newhall Library has a YA section (yay!), a homework section, a meeting hall with local artists' work on the walls, two sets of bathrooms (I don't know why I'm including that, but it impressed me), a wall lined with laptops you can check out, couches, a childrens' section, old timey photographs (presumably of Old Old Town Newhall) and a screening room.

There are also books!

I KNOW!

I see many days spent here in the future.

*A close cousin of the Bob Loblaw Law Blog