NYC Teen Author Festival

Greetings! The fabulous David Levithan (author extraordinaire, as well as my editor!) just announced the line-up for the NYC Teen Author Festival.  Over 70 YA authors will be participating in events across NYC for 7 days - pretty impressive!  I put in bold the events that I'll be speaking/reading/signing at, but I'm sure I'll be attending as many as I can and I hope you do, too!  Be sure to check out the NYC Teen Author Festival Facebook Page for more updates! Hope to see you there! XO, Elizabeth 2011 NYC Teen Author Festival Schedule

Monday, March 14   (Chatham Square Branch of the NYPL, 33 E Broadway., 6-8): Finding Voice, Giving Voice:  Speaking Up for Characters Authors: Cathleen Bell Jen Calonita Cecil Castellucci Brent Crawford Elizabeth Eulberg Brian James Kekla Magoon Melina Marchetta Marie Rutkoski Moderator:  David Levithan

Tuesday, March 15  ( B&N Union Square , 7-8:30): YA Reader’s Theater Authors: Holly Black Judy Blundell Gayle Forman Eliot Schrefer (aka E. Archer) Host:  David Levithan

Wednesday. March 16 ( South Court , 6-8): YA Rocks, featuring Tiger Beat! Tiger Beat: Libba Bray Daniel Ehrenhaft Barnabas Miller Natalie Standiford

With music-related readings from: Philana Marie Boles Libba Bray Barnabas Miller Jon Skovron Jeri Smith-Ready Rita Williams-Garcia Host:  Jack Martin / Chris Shoemaker

Thursday, March 17 (Five Borough Read, 10-12): Manhattan : Seward Park Branch, 192 E Broadway, Manhattan , 10am Alma Alexander Philana Marie Boles Leanna Renee Hieber Lena Roy Mark Shulman

96th Street Branch, 228 E 96th St , Manhattan , 10am Violet Haberdasher Kimberly Marcus Micol Ostow Eliot Schrefer Natalie Standiford

Washington Irving H.S (in conjunction with Mulberry St Branch)  - 40 Irving Place , 10am. Eireann Corrigan Jocelyn Davies Anne Heltzel Matt de la Pena Patrick Ryan Leila Sales

Muhlenburg Branch, NYPL, 209 W 23rd St Alexandra Bullen Helen Ellis Sarah Mlynowski Matthue Roth Adrienne Maria Vrettos Robin Wasserman

Brooklyn Central Branch, Brooklyn Public Library, Dweck Auditorim, 10 Grand Army Plaza Cathleen Bell Gayle Forman Christopher Grant Melissa Kantor Jeri Smith-Ready Melissa Walker

Bronx : Bronx Library Center , 310 E Kingsbridge Road , Bronx Margie Gelbwasser Sarah Darer Littman Arlaina Tibensky Maryrose Wood

Queens : Library TK Brent Crawford Barry Lyga Melina Marchetta Neesha Meminger

Staten Island : St George Branch, 5 Central Ave , Staten Island , 10am Elizabeth Eulberg David Levithan Michael Northrup Danette Vigliante

Friday March 18^th, Symposium (South Court , 42^nd Street , 2-6) 2:00  Introduction 2:10 – 3:00:  Telling the Truths – Hard Topics, Illuminating Fiction Authors: Eireann Corrigan Donna Freitas Sarah Darer Littman Kimberly Marcus Micol Ostow Moderator:  DL

3:00 – 3:50: Debut Author Showcase Authors: Jocelyn Davies Margie Gelbwasser Christopher Grant Anne Heltzel Kimberly Marcus Arlaina Tibensky Moderator:  Jack Martin / Chris Shoemaker

3:50 – 4:00:  Break

4:00 - 5:00:  I Think I Love You (But Maybe I Don’t?) – Writing About Teens in Love Authors: E. Lockhart Terra Elan McVoy Sarah Mylnowski Patrick Ryan Moderator:  David Levithan

5:00 – 6:00:   Under the Influences:  Discussing Influences on YA Fiction Authors: Libba Bray Alexandra Bullen Susane Colasanti Barry Lyga Carolyn Mackler Lena Roy Adrienne Maria Vrettos Maryrose Wood Moderator:  Barry Lyga

Saturday. March 19^th, Symposium ( South Court , 42^nd Street , 1-5:30)1:00 – Introduction

1:10 – 2:00:  The Ties That Bind, Part One:  The Struggle Against Darkness Kim Harrington Lisa McMann Maggie Stiefvater Robin Wasserman Moderator:  David Levithan

2:00 – 2:45:  The Ties That Bind, Part Two:  Family Bonds Melissa Kantor Melina Marchetta Alyssa Sheinmel Natalie Standiford Danette Vigilante Moderator:  Jack Martin / Chris Shoemaker

2:45 – 3:30:  The Ties That Bind, Part Three:  Friends and Community Matt de la Pena Torrey Maldonado Michael Northrop Leila Sales Moderator:  Barry Lyga

3:30-3:40 – Break

3:40 – 4:20 – Tribute to Michael Cart Host/Opening:  Jack Martin Speakers/Readers:  David Levithan and Jacqueline Woodson Acceptance:  Michael Cart

4:20-5:30:  LGBTYA:  Past, Present, and Future Nick Burd Michael Cart David Levithan Martin Wilson Jacqueline Woodson Moderator:  Jack Martin / Chris Shoemaker

Sunday afternoon: Books of Wonder Signing (1-4)

Authors: 1-1:45 Lizabeth Zindel  (A Girl, A Ghost, and the Hollywood Hills, Penguin) Maryrose Wood  (The Hidden Gallery, Harper) Suzanne Weyn  (Empty, Scholastic) Danette Vigilante  (The Trouble with Half a Moon, Penguin) Maggie Stiefvater   (Linger, Scholastic) Natalie Standiford  (Confessions of the Sullivan Sisters, Scholastic) Mark Shulman    (Scrawl, Roaring Brook) Alyssa Sheinmel  (The Beautiful Between, RH) Kieran Scott  (She’s So Dead to Us, S&S) Leila Sales  (Mostly Good Girls, S&S) Patrick Ryan  (Gemini Bites, Scholastic)

1:45-2:30 Marie Rutkoski  (The Celestial Globe, FSG) Lena Roy   (Edges, FSG) Michael Northrup  (Trapped, Scholastic) Sarah Mlynowski  (Gimme a Call, RH) Neesha Meminger  (Jazz in Love, Ignite) Terra Elan McVoy  (After the Kiss, S&S) Lisa McMann   (Cryer’s Cross, S&S) Kimberly Marcus  (Exposed, RH) Melina Marchetta (The Piper’s Son, Candlewick) Torrey Maldonado  (Secret Saturdays, Penguin) Barry Lyga  (Archvillain, Scholastic)

2:30-3:15 E. Lockhart   (Real Live Boyfriends, RH) Sarah Darer Littman     (Life After, Scholastic) David Levithan  (Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares, RH) Melissa Kantor  (The Darlings Are Forever, Hyperion) Carla Jablonksi  (Resistance, First Second) Gwendolyn Heasley      (Where I Belong, Harper) Kim Harrington  (Clarity, Scholastic) Christopher Grant  (Teenie, RH) Margie Gelbwasser  (Inconvenient, Flux) Elizabeth Eulberg  (Prom & Prejudice, Scholastic) Helen Ellis  (The Turning, Sourcebooks)

3:15-4 Daniel Ehrenhaft  (Friend is Not a Verb, Harper) Sarah Beth Durst  (Enchanted Ivy, S&S) Matt De La Pena  (I Will Save You, RH) Brent Crawford  (Carter Finally Gets It, Hyperion) Eireann Corrigan  (Accomplice, Scholastic) Susane Colasanti  (Something Like Fate, Penguin) Marina Budhos  (Tell Us We’re Home, S&S) Kate Brian  (Book of Spells, S&S) Philana Marie Boles  (Glitz, Penguin) Judy Blundell    (Strings Attached, Scholastic) Cathleen Bell    (Little Blog on the Prairie, Bloomsbury )

The Next Chapter

As some of you may know, in addition to being the author of two published books (and hard at work at #3 - how did that happen?), I also work in the publishing industry as a publicist.  It is with mixed emotions that I’m announcing that starting next week, I will be a full-time writer! Being a publicist has been an extremely rewarding and wonderful job.  I have been very fortunate to work with a lot of amazing authors, all of whom I learned from and many who are still close friends.  I’ve also worked with some extraordinary publishing people, first at Scholastic and then at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.  The publishing industry has been very good to me.  Never would I think I’d be in a position to write full-time and it wouldn’t be possible without the support of my publishers around the world (especially Scholastic) and, above all, the readers.  I do realize how extremely lucky I am.

I’ll admit to being both excited and scared.  I don’t really know what the future will hold or how long I’ll be able to write full-time, but I do know this: for the first time in thirteen years, I’m putting  myself first.  And that is a wonderful feeling.

XOXO, Elizabeth

On the road again...

Hello all!  I hope most of you are surviving this brutal winter.  I'm writing to you all from a very sunny and warm San Francisco (don't hate me).  I've been having a blast hitting the road for Prom and Prejudice and wanted to share some photos and stories from the road. First off, I can not tell you how honored I am that anybody shows up to my events at all.  But to have so many enthusiastic people is beyond humbling. One of the highlights from these past few events is the number of book bloggers I've met.  I love book bloggers.  Anybody who loves books and wants to spread that love is #1 in my book!

After my insane pub party at Books of Wonder (see post below), I headed to Chicago to speak at a few schools in the area.  I almost drove off the road when I saw this:

But the biggest surprise that day was at my evening event at Anderson's Bookstore in Downers Grove.  I noticed a familiar face smiling at me from the audience, but I just couldn't place it until he asked me: "Did playing basketball in grade school influence your books?" I about died.  It was my grade school basketball coach Mr. Roets who now lives nearby Anderson's.  AND he brought photos (and no, I will not be posting those).

I also got to meet Stacey from PageTurners blog and Melissa from Twitter.  It's so much fun to put faces to names and Tweets!  Melissa won the special prize I was giving out (at my solo events, I give out a special DARCY necklace to the first person to ask a question).  Not only did Melissa show up the next night at my B&N event in Skokie wearing her necklace, she made me a t-shirt! It was the first fan-made thing I've ever gotten and I LOVE it!

I was super excited for the next event because I was doing it with two other authors, Kristina Springer (My Fake Boyfriend is Better than Yours) and Kristin Walker (Made in High School). We had a BLAST! One of the best parts about being an author is getting to meet other authors. I really enjoyed doing a panel with them and I learned a lot. And laughed. And ended up leaving with an arm full of their books!

After a week "off" (I'm in the middle of editing my third book), I headed to San Francisco to be part of Books Inc.'s Not Your Mother's Book Club.  As a publicist, I've had the privilege of going to NYMBC events with the authors I worked with and I always secretly wished I could one day attended as an author. So when I found out that they'd have me, I pretty much jumped on a plane!  I got to meet two incredible authors as part of the panel last night as well, Suzanne Selfors (Mad Love) and Cathleen Daly (Flirt Club).

I have to say that this was one of the best events I've ever attended.  Not only were Cathleen and Suzanne loads of fun, the crowd was made of awesome. The lovely ladies of Eve's Fan Garden met up with me beforehand to hang out AND they brought us cupcakes (click here to see their post on the event, including a video of me reading!). And the way to my heart is with food, especially if it is in the shape of one of my books.

I also got to meet Jessica from ChickLitTeens who missed half a day of school to come to the event (her mom was there, so it was approved! I don't want to be responsible for people skipping school).

I've got a few other events coming up over the next two months: Princeton, NJ, Philadelphia area with Jen Calonita and Sara Shepard, and I'll be at the LA Times Book Festival in April (check out my EVENTS section on the site, LA schedule to come).  I hope to see you out there!

XOXO, Elizabeth

The Mega LHC and P&P contest!

I always like to think I'm a person of my word. So when I declared that if the Packers make it to the Super Bowl I'll do a ginormous contest, I meant it!  This Sunday, my beloved Packers will be playing against the Steelers.  And no offense to those of you in Pittsburgh or Pennsylvania, but GO PACKERS!

On to the giveaway!  One lucky winner will receive this sweet package:

• Autographed Prom and Prejudice hardcover
• Autographed The Lonely Hearts Club hardcover
• BBC's Pride and Prejudice DVD
• DARCY necklace - made special by my uber-talented friend Natalie (I've been giving these away on tour for the first person to ask a question at my events, so be sure to check out my EVENTS page to see if I'm heading near you)!
• $15 iTunes gift card
• The Lonely Hearts Club-inspired Beatles mix (not pictured)

Pretty sweet, huh?

HOW TO ENTER: Go to Facebook and Like my Page.  On Friday morning, I will put a contest post on my Facebook Page, all you have to do to be entered is to comment on the posting!  Easy enough, right?   I will then choose one winner from random on Monday morning.

Please note, this is only open to US residents.  I know, I know... I'm sorry, but the iTunes gift card is in US money, the DVD is for US/Canada only...not to mention that it is going to cost a lot to mail this even in the US!

Good luck...and GO PACK!