rgz Seattle HOST: Carrie Jones and Alyx Harvey!

Hello, again, readergirlz!

So, my posted schedule had me going to see Heather Brewer last night, and I wish I could've been in two places at once. I missed Heather because a friend of mine from the Vermont College MFA program in Writing for Children and Young Adults was in town: Carrie Jones! Carrie's a wonderful writer with a super-fun blog (link on her site), another blog called Through the Tollbooth that she and I keep up with seven other Vermont Grads (it's about the craft of writing, how to get down and dirty with words), and can I please just mention that her books NEED and CAPTIVATE are both currently on the New York Times bestseller list? So, basically, Carrie is made of awesome.

She's touring the west coast with Alyx Harvey (at left, Alyx is Little Miss blurry and Carrie is Little Miss Naughty), who is making a big splash with her debut novel, HEARTS AT STAKE, the first in THE DRAKE CHRONICLES (lots of info on her site), a new vampire series that also works as a spin on the Snow White story. Trusted booksellers and librarians have assured me that it's fun and amazing and that even if you're a bit burned out on vampires, you should give it a try. I hope to bite in (couldn't resist) this weekend.

It was SO MUCH FUN to hear these two chat about their books and their lives. They told oodles of interesting stories. Some highlights: Alyx lives in a haunted house but the ghosts are friendly, Carrie wrote an awesome haiku in second grade, both of their books feature blue-skinned non-human characters, Carrie's writing space is small and rickety and Alyx's features photos of Johnny Depp, Mr. Darcy, and all the other important men, both writers love and raise dogs, and both have more exciting projects that you'll hear lots about in the near future (Victorian ghost book for Alyx! Co-written book set in spooky Maine town for Carrie!)

One of the most fun parts of the event was the group of authors and obsessive-in-a-good-way book lovers (rgz street team member Sarah, in particular) who came out. On the left, that's Sarah with rgz Diva Holly Cupala and Seattle-area author Suzanne Selfors. Holly and Carrie share the same literary agent. What a lucky agent! Other awesome people were spotted, too! The bookseller Kari said she wished there'd been a red carpet. :) I wish all of you readergirlz could've been there. Keep an eye out for this tour! Check here to see if they're coming near you!

Liz with Two Authors for your enjoyment:

See you soon!

Seattle HOST: Rebecca Stead!

Before anything else, I just have to say: WAY TO GO, SEATTLE! The turnout to see and hear Rebecca Stead tonight was absolutely amazing. So many people, so many young readers, so many great questions.

Dear Rest of the Country: KEEP IT UP!

I had a feeling Rebecca would be an amazing speaker, and I was not disappointed. Wow, is she.

First, she read a couple of bits from WHEN YOU REACH ME. Then, she had what was basically an in-depth conversation with a roomful of people.

We got to hear about Rebecca's writing process (solitary, then with feedback from trusted friends and lots of hard work), her childhood encounter with Madeleine L'Engle (a shy hello and a signed book that she still has!), her favorite thing about WHEN YOU REACH ME (the freedom to explore Miranda's weird inner world), how difficult it is to learn about time travel (very!), and lots of other stuff. The night basically felt like having coffee with a very talented writer, without the coffee but with plenty of excitement buzzing in the air. I left more inspired to write, and I know other people did, too . . .

. . . like all of the other middle grade and YA authors who showed up!

Thatcher Heldring and Suzanne Selfors

Linda Johns, Sundee Frazier, Sundee's adorable baby

Heather Davis, aspiring writer Emily of Damsels in Regress, me, Jen Bradbury

The traditional Liz with Author photo was difficult to get because of the looooooooooooong line of people waiting to get their books signed (keepsakes just like Rebecca's signed book from Madeleine L'Engle!), but I did my best.

Definitely catch Rebecca if she's touring near you. Here's the whole list of cities she'll be visiting this time around.

See you soon!

Rgz HOST: Suzanne Selfors!

Hello again, Readergirlz!

I've got two new books on my pile that I can't wait to read: Saving Juliet and Coffehouse Angel , both by the fabulous Suzanne Selfors.

I got to meet Suzanne last night at Third Place Books. What a delightful event! A bunch of people sat around, with yummy coffee cake made by the bookseller, and listened to Suzanne talk about her writing life and read from Coffehouse Angel. From what I heard, I know that lots of you will love this book -- who's read it so far? I'm excited to dig in, especially because it's set in a fictional town based on a real town that's close to Seattle! And because there's an angel in it who I'm pretty sure is also kind of a hunk. Or a hottie. What word are we using these days?

Big news about Suzanne's Saving Juliet: Film rights have sold to Disney! Woo!

Here's my now-classic Photo of Liz with Author:

Know a girl who's still a tad young for Suzanne's YA books? Have her check out To Catch a Mermaid and Fortune's Magic Farm. They're guaranteed to please!

See you all soon . . . and if you're in Seattle, meet me at the Ballard Library at 3:00 on Saturday to see David Levithan! If you aren't in Seattle, check here on Sunday for photos and a recap!