I had the opportunity to participate in an author panel at Book Passage in Corte Madera as part of their Kid Lit Salon last night. Aside from getting a chance to present Exclusively Chloe and talk about my path to publication, I got to meet some more Debs! Sarah Quigley (TMI), Malinda Lo (Ash), Cheryl Herbsman (Breathing), and C. Lee McKenzie (Sliding on the Edge) were fantastic and I continue to marvel at how lucky I was to join the Debs. Everyone I've met so far has been super nice and it's always interesting to talk to fellow young adult authors about their experiences. All four of them were eloquent, insightful, and hilarious. I need to learn how to emulate them and be just like their awesome selves. This also marked the first time I met a book blogger in person, Zoe from Zoe's Book Reviews. Pretty cool right?
Oh and of course we also met George McGovern. Met as in saw him walk in, take a picture with us, and then walk out. I wasn't sure if we should salute or clap or what. I mainly stood up in respect as quickly as possible. He was at Book Passage promoting his recently released book about Abraham Lincoln. McGovern's name may ring a bell as he ran for President in 1972 and was the Senator for South Dakota some time back. He's like famous, maybe even celebrity famous, but more important. And historical.
Malinda's "Ash," is out in exactly a week and her book is a lesbian retelling of Cinderella. I'm going to her book debut party on the tenth of September so if you're around the Bay Area, you should come too!
"In the wake of her father's death, Ash is left at the mercy of her cruel stepmother. Consumed with grief, her only joy comes by the light of the dying hearth fire, rereading the fairy tales her mother once told her. In her dreams, someday the fairies will steal her away, as they are said to do. When she meets the dark and dangerous fairy Sidhean, she believes that her wish may be granted.
The day that Ash meets Kaisa, the King's Huntress, her heart begins to change. Instead of chasing fairies, Ash learns to hunt with Kaisa. Though their friendship is as delicate as a new bloom, it reawakens Ash's capacity for love-and her desire to live. But Sidhean has already claimed Ash for his own, and she must make a choice between fairy tale dreams and true love.
Entrancing, empowering, and romantic, Ash is about the connection between life and love, and solitude and death, where transformation can come from even the deepest grief."
