Books and Swoons: Author Event

Showing posts with label Author Event. Show all posts

Looking Back On Our Week: Janet Evanovich and Richelle Mead Signings

Morning Swooners,

Nahomi and I had an eventful bookish weekend. We had a Janet Evanovich event, Plum Palooza on Saturday and Richelle Mead on Sunday. Both events were in two completely different cities so poor Nahomi spent her weekend in a car, traveling between Orlando and Miami. Such a trooper.

First up, Plum Palooza!

Um....these very good looking gentlemen, *cough* were part of an dance off showcasing the Stephanie Plum two heroes, Joe Morelli and Ranger.

We played some bingo and heard Janet speak. Plus there was this book cake up made up with all of her New York Times bestsellers books.

Stephanie is called Cupcake by Morelli so it's only logical to have a cupcake there.

As Jenn said I had a pretty busy weekend but it was totally worth it to see both Janet Evanovich and Richelle Mead. It was a relaxed environment at Books and Books in Coral Gables where Richelle spoke about her new books Soundless and The Glittering Court.

This is Richelle talking about her new books.

I went to the signing with my daughter Mia. She was my little helper.

With Richelle Mead as she signed our books!

Last weekend was super busy, but I had so much fun and got to meet two of my favorite authors! I can't wait for the next event... Until then check out our Give Thanks Giveaway which ends next Tuesday.

Book Signing Event - Richelle Mead at Books & Books

If you live in the South Florida area do we have some amazing news for you. The ever amazing Richelle Mead is going on tour and guess what? She will be stopping by our favorite indie book store! Richelle will be at at Books & Books on tomorrow Sunday, November 15th at 1:00pm. The event will be held at their Coral Gables location.

Signing Guidelines:

-Richelle will sign three books per person, one will be personalized and the other two will just have signatures (have a friend bring three more books!)

-You may bring books from home

-Pictures will be allowed if time permits

-Many bookstores have perks for buying Soundless from them, like going to the front of the signing line. Check back here or contact your store to find out any other details, such as line policies or tickets.

If you pre-order a SIGNED copy of the breathtaking, new fantasy novel from bestselling author RICHELLE MEAD from these indies below you will receive (drum roll, please) an additional EXCLUSIVE DELUXE COVER!

Isn’t that awesome? You can pre-order from the participating stores HERE. Please make sure you take a look at their specifications (some don’t take online orders, and some ONLY take online orders so when in doubt give them a call!!).

Now to top everything off with an extra layer of awesome. Our local Geek Girl Brunch chapter has an amazing opportunity for you all.

Who's ready to meet Richelle Mead?!

We have had many conversations with Books & Books to make sure this event is smooth and fun for you lovely ladies. We are being set up to have a meet and greet with Richelle prior to the signing event that will be open to the public. GGB will have the opportunity to get together and enjoy a continental breakfast and mimosa for $20 each at Books&Books. We will then be introduced to Richelle and be given a wrist band so when the signing begins, we can be first in line to get our books signed!The event will be capped at 50, being held at the Coral Gables Books & Books on Sunday, 11/15 at 11 am.

If you live in South Florida and want to attend the brunch (Believe me, you do NOT want to miss out on this amazing brunch.) head on over to Geek Girl Brunch to sign up and become a member. If you have any additional questions on how to get into the brunch head on over to their Facebook and they'll sort everything out for you.

Hope to see you all there!

Fierce Reads at Books and Books Week Blitz: Josephine Angelini

Hello Swooners!

Today is the last day of our Fierce Reads at Books and Books Week Blitz. We are excited to be interviewing Josephine Angelini, author of Firewalker which was released on September 1. Josephine will also be at Books and Books in Coral Gables on Monday, October 12 at 7pm in for the Fierce Reads Tour! Check out what she had to say to us below.

Firewalker (Worldwalker #2)
Author: Josephine Angelini
Release Date: September 1, 2015
Publisher:Feiwel & Friends

"You think I’m a monster, but my choices, as ruthless as they seem, are justified."

Lily is back in her own universe, and she's ready to start a new life with Rowan by her side. True, she almost died in the Pyre that fueled their escape from New Salem, and must hide her magic for the safety of everyone she cares about, but compared to fighting the Woven, the monstrous creatures inhabiting the alternate Salem, life is looking pretty good.

Unfortunately, Lillian, ruthless ruler of the 13 Cities, is not willing to let Lily go that easily. If she can’t persuade Lily to return to her world, she will force her to come back by doing away with the ones she loves.

What were your biggest challenges in writing Fire Walker?

The beginning! For me, getting the beginning of a book right is so hard. I’m a plotter, so I always know what my major turning points and reversals are going to be, and as a result I always rush the start of the book so I can get to the juicy bits. I always have to go back and fix my beginnings.

Has Lily changed at all from Trial by Fire to Firewalker?

Enormously. She’s suffering from PTSD, and who wouldn’t be after what she went through? I have a hard time believing books that ignore the messy fall-out of a tortured main character. One of the things that I wanted to do with this series was to test the validity of the saying “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” Lillian isn’t stronger after what she went through. Is Lily? Let’s find out.

I've got to ask a fun question. If you could have a super power, what would it be?

I used to always say flying because of my first series, Starcrossed, but now I’m thinking it would be mindspeak.

If you're in Miami, we hope you attend this event next week, Monday, October 12th, 2015 at 7pm. Those not attending, don't worry. Books & Books will be live streaming this event, so make sure to tune in!

About the author:

JOSEPHINE ANGELINI is a graduate of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts in theater, with a focus on the classics. Originally from Massachusetts, she now lives in Los Angeles with her screenwriter husband, their baby girl, and three shelter cats. Her debut series, Starcrossed, Dreamless, and Goddess, (Harper Teen) are all international bestsellers and have garnered the praise of various major publications, including the LA Times, and have twice won the Reader’s Choice Awards in Germany. The second book in the WorldWalker Trilogy, Firewalker, (Feiwel and Friends, Macmillan) will be out in the US on September 1st.

Author Links: Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads / Website

Fierce Reads at Books and Books Week Blitz: Leila Sales

Morning Swooners!

Today we have the pleasure interviewing Leila Sales, author of Tonight The Streets Are Ours, which was released on September 15. Leila is one of the four authors that will be at Books and Books in Coral Gables on Monday, October 12 at 7pm in for the Fierce Reads Tour! Check out what she had to say to us below.

Tonight the Streets Are Ours
Author: Leila Sales
Release Date: September 15, 2015
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)

Devon Tennyson wouldn't change a thing. She's happy watching Friday night games from the bleachers, silently crushing on best friend Cas, and blissfully ignoring the future after high school. But the universe has other plans. It delivers Devon's cousin Foster, an unrepentant social outlier with a surprising talent for football, and the obnoxiously superior and maddeningly attractive star running back, Ezra, right where she doesn't want them first into her P.E. class and then into every other aspect of her life.
Pride and Prejudice meets Friday Night Lights in this contemporary novel about falling in love with the unexpected boy, with a new brother, and with yourself.

What are 5 random facts about yourself?

1 – I type using only two fingers.

2 – My middle name is a boy’s name.

3 – I can recite the name of every student in my high school class in alphabetical order.

4 – I own more than 100 original My Little Ponies.

5 – For five years I received so many text messages from strangers that I started a blog about them: theleilatexts.blogspot.com

If you were hosting a literary dinner party, which six authors or characters would you invite?

I’d invite my closes author friends: Rebecca Serle, Lauren Oliver, Jocelyn Davies, Courtney Sheinmel, Lexa Hillyer, and Jess Rothenberg. Whenever we hang out together, we always have a blast and laugh so hard and inspire each other. What more could I want out of a dinner party?

What can you tell us about your new book, Tonight the Streets Are Ours and what do you hope readers take from it?

TONIGHT THE STREETS ARE OURS is about a teen girl who becomes fascinated with a blogger from afar. Based on what he writes about his life, he seems perfect—he seems to get her in a way that nobody who knows her in real life does. So she sets out on a road trip with her best friend to track him down in person. Over the course of one epic night in New York City, she comes to realize that he’s not exactly who she expected him to be based on his online persona. There’s a lot that I’d like readers to take away from this book, but one of the main ideas is that everyone lies by omission online. The way people present themselves online is a curated version of themselves, and you should try to understand that whatever you’re seeing there is only one part of their whole life story.

About the author:

Leila Sales was born in 1984 and grew up outside of Boston, Massachusetts. She graduated from the University of Chicago with a degree in psychology in 2006. Now she lives in Brooklyn, New York, and works in the mostly glamorous world of children's book publishing. Leila spends most of her time thinking about sleeping, kittens, dance parties, and stories that she wants to write.

Author Links: Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads / Website

Fierce Reads at Books and Books Week Blitz: Emma Mills

Hi Lovelies!

As we mentioned yesterday, we've teamed up with a group of South Florida bloggers to bring you exclusive interviews of the authors on the Fierce Reads tour. Today we have the lovely Emma Mills, author of First & Then, slated to be released on October 13.

First & Then
Author: Emma Mills
Release Date: October 13, 2015
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)

Devon Tennyson wouldn't change a thing. She's happy watching Friday night games from the bleachers, silently crushing on best friend Cas, and blissfully ignoring the future after high school. But the universe has other plans. It delivers Devon's cousin Foster, an unrepentant social outlier with a surprising talent for football, and the obnoxiously superior and maddeningly attractive star running back, Ezra, right where she doesn't want them first into her P.E. class and then into every other aspect of her life.
Pride and Prejudice meets Friday Night Lights in this contemporary novel about falling in love with the unexpected boy, with a new brother, and with yourself.

Describe your book in 5 words?

Emma Mills: Family, football, romance, and feels! (I’m counting the ‘and’)

2. Without spoilers, were there any scenes you had to cut that you wished you could have kept?

EM: There was a quiet sort of scene between Devon and Ezra in the back half of the book that I really liked-- one in which some things about Ezra were revealed. Most of the content of this scene got threaded in elsewhere, and I think the storytelling is much stronger for it… but it hurt a bit to let go of that one at the time!

3. Do you have any future writing projects in the works?

EM: I do! I’m working on another YA right now that I’m very excited about!

About the author:

Emma Mills is a debut author better known to her subscribers as vlogger Elmify. She is also co-creator and co-host of the "life skills" channel How to Adult.

Author Links: YouTube / Twitter / Goodreads

Fierce Reads at Books and Books Week Blitz: Leigh Bardugo

Hi Lovelies!

When we learn that the Fierce Reads Book tour will be at our favorite indie bookstore, Books & Books, we were ecstatic. And so we are happy to say that we've teamed up with Books & Books and a group of South Florida bloggers to bring you exclusive interviews with these lovely authors! Today we have t Leigh Bardugo on the site. Let's see what she has to say.

Six of Crows was EPIC! I am however curious about the total of the main characters. Why SIX? Not four nor five?

Leigh Bardugo: Thank you! I don't have a great answer to that question except that six served the story. I wrote the "zero draft" of Six of Crows in about a week (it's more like an outline than a real first draft) and the characters arose very naturally. I'd get to the end of a scene and another character would step up and say, "Oh let me take it from here." I will say that Jesper's role got a lot bigger as the story progressed, and each of their voices became more distinct. Now I can't imagine Kaz's crew of criminals any other way.

What inspired you to write Six of Crows?

LB: Truth? I was driving down a street in Los Angeles and saw a billboard for a movie called Monuments Men. I thought, "Wow, I have no interest in seeing that, but I should watch Oceans 11 again." And then I almost drove off the road because all I could think was MAGICAL HEIST. Looking back, I think I was also just a little burned out on "chosen one" stories. They're resonant for a reason, but after the Grisha Trilogy, I was ready to write about people who weren't trying to save the world.

This one is hard one. I loved all the character but Matthias had me drooling all over the book. But who's your favorite? Who was the most challenging one to write?

LB: You know, Matthias was actually the most fun to write. He's so intense. about. everything. I think he has the heart of a knight, but he was just born into the wrong circumstances, so I'm glad you enjoyed him. Kaz was probably the toughest to write because his backstory is so dark. I couldn't work on it for too long a stretch at a time.

Six of Crows
(Six of Crows #1)
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Release Date: September 29, 2015
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company

Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price–and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can’t pull it off alone…
A convict with a thirst for revenge.
A sharpshooter who can’t walk away from a wager.
A runaway with a privileged past.
A spy known as the Wraith.
A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums.
A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes.
Six dangerous outcasts. One impossible heist. Kaz’s crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction—if they don’t kill each other first.

About the author:

Leigh Bardugo is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Grisha Trilogy: Shadow and Bone, Siege and Storm, and Ruin and Rising. She was born in Jerusalem, grew up in Los Angeles, and graduated from Yale University, and has worked in advertising, journalism, and most recently, makeup and special effects. These days, she lives and writes in Hollywood where she can occasionally be heard singing with her band. Her new book, Six of Crows, arrives fall 2015.

Author Links: Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads / Website / Instagram

Giveaway! Signed ARC of Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo!

Hiya lovelies! I hope all my American Swooners had an awesome 4th of July and had lots of food and drinks and an all around good day.

Now, it's Friday and I thought what's a better to way to get in the weekend spirit than with a giveaway! I went to the Fierce Reads Tour stop in Miami a couple of weeks ago, where I was able to meet Leigh Bardugo, Gennifer Albin, Anna Banks, Jessica Brody and Emmy Laybourne. Let me tell you, it was such a fun event! They are such an awesome group of ladies and they interacted with the audience and it was a blast. It has to be one of the my most favorite signing I've been lucky enough to go to.

Before the signing started, some of the staff at the bookstore, Books and Books, were handing out raffle tickets for some fun giveaways. Well, I was lucky enough that my number was picked and I got an ARC of Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo. I would keep the ARC but I had already purchased my copy of the book and I had just gotten back from BEA. And let's be real, I need the shelf space, lol. So I decided that I would get it signed and give it away to one of you lucky, Swooner!

There are some rules (of course):

This will be "living" in the US only giveaway (sorry! I'm on a budget)
Must be 13 years-old or older
Winner must respond to winning email within 48 hours or a new winner will be chosen.
I am not responsible for lost items once I put them in the mail...you'll have to blame the post office if you don't get it.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The giveaway will run from today, July 5 to July 12, so good luck!

1 Year Blogiversary!!

So, I've been blogging for a year today!

Can you believe it? It has certainly surprised me at times, how much time has passed and how much Books and Swoons has grown.

Ehh. Never mind. Growing up is overrated.

I've struggled at times to keep the blog active and to keep up with the demand and pressure I'd put on myself. But it only lately that I've learned that in order to keep blogging and keep myself sane, I have to do this my way and at my pace. I can't keep comparing myself and Books and Swoons to other blogs. I'm also still learning how to balance blogging and reading with having a life. I recently became a new auntie and so I have brand new niece that I go and snuggle every other day.

But enough about that. It time to celebrate and I want to celebrate by sharing my love for books and swoons and great authors! So you know what that means? It's GIVEAWAY TIME!!

Oh yea, I just did this in real life. Well...I tried anyways.

Here's what I'm giving away: Winner's choice of a signed copy of either Shatter Me or Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi, a signed copy of either Unearthly, Hallowed or Boundless by Cynthia Hand, a signed copy of Under the Never Sky or Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi, and signed copy of Eve, Once, or Rise by Anna Carey and a paperback copy of Divergent by Veronica Roth.

That's right,* 4 signed books and 1 paperback. *

I'm going to a book signing for Spring Into The Future on April 28th and I decided to do something nice for all my Swooners and I wanted to share my love of some of my favorite series. So, I get to meet some lovely authors and get you some signed books. Sounds like a good idea to me!

Unfortunately, at the moment, I can only ship inside the US at the moment.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Good luck!

Thanks so much for stopping by and helping me celebrate my 1 year blogiversary!

Subscribe to: Posts ( Atom )