7 Things You Don't Know About Little Willow

Many thanks to everyone who participated in this month's blog series! I had a lot of fun gathering candid and heartfelt responses from authors. Lorie Ann asked me to post my own list, so here goes nothing:

7 Things You Don't Know About Me
1) I've been writing stories and songs since birth, practically.
2) I am capable of charming squirrels out of trees.
3) There is no television show I have loved more completely from start to finish than Leverage.
4) I love word play.
5) Synchronicity and causality are recurring themes in my life.
6) Chances are, I'm shorter than you.
7) I project. In more ways than one. 

So there you have it! I hope March has been lovely for all of you. Don't forget to mark your calendars for Operation Teen Book Drop 2014, which will be happening in just a few weeks on April 17th. Stay tuned to the readergirlz blog, Facebook, and Twitter to learn how you can participate and #rockthedrop!

What's new with Holly Cupala

Hello, dear readergirlz, and Happy Anniversary! It's pretty exciting to see the fruition of all of the ideas and hard work of the co-founders--Justina Chen, Dia Calhoun, Janet Lee Carey, and Lorie Ann Grover--and all of the helpers along the way! I'm honored to have been a part of it.

What's new with me? After readergirlz featured TELL ME A SECRET, my second YA novel, DON'T BREATHE A WORD, came out in January 2012 from HarperCollins. Since then, I've been working hard on a third YA (in the home stretch, hopefully!) with secrets...still so many secret stories to tell!

There have been big changes for me personally, too--family up by one, a crazy move to the country, wild forages for ideas and edibles, lots of DIY projects, and...three? four?...novels brewing.

I'm inspired by all of you, readergirlz! Keep up the wonderful work.

 

7 Things You Don't Know About Micol Ostow

7 Things You Don't Know about readergirlz diva Micol Ostow
1. I've been an avid horror reader my whole life, but it took 30 books under my belt (including ghostwriting gigs) before I was ready to try a scary story of my own. That book, Amity, releases this August! (Pre-order your copy now!)

2. I have a French Bulldog named Bridget Jones -- after the book, not the movie! You'd be surprised how many people totally forget that the book came first! Grr.

3. I can sing along to all of the songs from the Buffy the Vampire Slayer musical episode. By heart. No judgements, thanks.

4. I got my start in kidlit writing as an editor. The very first book I edited on my own was celebrity bio of Jim Carrey.

5. I recently sold a chapter book series called LOUISE TRAPEZE to Random House. The only thing more terrifying than writing horror will be trying to conquer the 5-7 year-old market!

6. The house I live in in Brooklyn is over 100 years old and thus the floors are all slanted. My daughter will grow up with no true concept of physics or gravity.

7. I ran the NYC marathon in 2003 (26.2 miles). These days, a typical run for me is 3 miles or so. And when I'm not running, I am the most sedentary creature around. Just one of the reasons I love reading so much!

7 Things You Don't Know About Sarah Miller

Miss Spitfire: Reaching Helen Keller was our book pick for December 2007. Based on the real life of Annie Sullivan, Sarah Miller's debut novel received critical acclaim and lots of enthusiastic support from the readergirlz.

Now, a little over 7 years later, here are 7 fun facts Sarah shared with us about herself:

 

7 Things You Don't Know About Me

My favorite Yoga pose is dragon.

I can knit socks and crochet shawls.

I've visited Laura Ingalls Wilder's grave and slept in Lizzie Borden's bedroom.

True Grit (the one with Hailee Steinfeld) is my new favorite movie. Would you like me to recite the first ten minutes for you?

I shook hands with Rosa Parks.

I'm still afraid of the dark. (But I don't sleep with a nightlight anymore.)

The Kennedy assassination is quite possibly my next historical fascination.

7 Things You Don't Know About Ellen Emerson White

In November 2008, we selected Ellen Emerson White's novel Long May She Reign to represent that month's theme, Persistence.  If you love thoughtful stories you can really sink your teeth into and you have yet to read Ellen's series of books about Meg Powers, the daughter of the President of the United States, immediately proceed to your local library or bookstore and pick them up! Make sure to read them in order:


- The President's Daughter
- White House Autumn
- Long Live the Queen
- Long May She Reign 

While you're preparing to read (or re-read) those 4 books, here are 7 personal factoids that Ellen shared with us, to share with you: 


1)  I can play the saxophone.  Prefer tenor to alto.
2)  I used to work in a factory making computers and burglar alarms, and am surprisingly good with complicated tools and machinery
3)  Can't stand seafood in any form, to the point of not even really liking those goldfish crackers
4)  I waste much too much time mired in writers' block and deep uncertainty
5)  I secretly love almost all of Shelley Long's movies
6)  I think Dispatches and The Things They Carried are possibly the two best books to come out of the Vietnam War
7)  I meant to be a lawyer and work in the Manhattan DA's office, but I guess I forgot, somewhere along the way.

Bonus: readergirlz roundtable: Long May She Reign by Ellen Emerson White

What's New with Nikki Grimes

We featured Bronx Masquerade by Nikki Grimes in our February 2008 issue. The book, which won the Coretta Scott King Award, shared the poetry and voices of eighteen different students.

Since her spotlight at readergirlz, Nikki has released a multitude of books, including:
A picture book biography: Barack Obama: Son of Promise, Child of Hope
More novels-in-verse: A Girl Named Mister, Planet Middle School, Words With Wings
A quartet of chapter books: Make Way for Dyamonde Daniel, Rich, Almost Zero, Halfway to Perfect
Forays into visual art: 6 exhibits, several sales, one 2nd Place Ribbon
A limited edition title: Journey: Poems for the Pulpit
...and she tells us there's more on the way! Congrats, Nikki!

7 Things You Don't Know About Janet Lee Carey

With love from author and rgz co-founder Janet Lee Carey:

Happy 7^th Anniversary, readergirlz!

It was an amazing privilege launching readergirlz with the dream-genius Justina Chen, the inter-dimensionally talented Lorie Ann Grover, and the multi-magical Dia Calhoun back in 2007. The founding divas hit the road in the inaugural year visiting schools and conferences, and created a unique convergent social media home reader/author connection. More talent joined the dynamic readergirlz team after the writer's siren call drew me away 2008. 

7 Things You Don’t Know About Me
1. I lived in Sweden for a year when I was four and learned to ice-skate on the Baltic Sea.
2. Spiders terrify me. I used to make my brothers suck them up with the vacuum cleaner – this made me fear vacuuming. What if the spiders crawled back out to take revenge?
3. I’m often writing in my head even while I’m shopping. This leads to small disasters like discovering I started loading someone else’s cart when I’m halfway through the store.
4. One of my books, Wenny Has Wings, became a feature film in Japan in 2008.
5. I dream of being a mermaid.
6. I try to climb a tree on my birthday each year and remember all the important things in my life starting with my first memory.
7. My cat is a dragon in disguise.

Keep updated on my books and exploits at my website or on Facebook or Goodreads.

7 Things You Don't Know About Kirby Larson

We kicked off 2008 reading HATTIE BIG SKY by Kirby Larson. 

In 2013, the sequel, HATTIE EVER AFTER, was released.

Now, in 2014, Kirby's sharing her list of...

7 Things You Don't Know About Me

1.     I have no willpower when it comes to red licorice (not Twizzlers) or Hot Tamales.

2.     By October, I will have visited 43 of the 50 states, plus the territories of Puerto Rico and Guam.

3.     Even though my dad's commanding officer offered to pay my mom $25 to name me something else (he was pulling for Lenore), my real name is Kirby.

4.     My sixth grade teacher, Mr. Steve Craig, made such a huge impact on my life that he and I are still in contact and good friends after all these years.

5.     Gym classes were not co-ed when I was in middle school and I managed to fail boys' PE.

6.     As a mom, I’m probably an 8, but as a grandma, I’m a 10+.

7.     My best book is that one that I've yet to write.

 

What's New with Chris Eboch

Today, we caught up with YA author Chris Eboch. If you dig ancient myths, you should check out her books! Her most recent novel for young people is The Genie’s Gift, a lighthearted action fantasy set in the fifteenth-century Middle East, drawing on the mythology of The Arabian Nights. Here's how Chris describes the book: "A shy heroine named Anise seeks the Genie Shakayak to claim the Gift of Sweet Speech. How will she get past a vicious she-ghoul, a sorceress who turns people to stone, and mysterious sea monsters, when she can’t even speak in front of strangers?"

 

Chris's historical novels, The Well of Sacrifice (a Mayan drama) and The Eyes of Pharaoh (a mystery in ancient Egypt) continued to be embraced by teachers and young readers. Chris has also branched out into writing romantic suspense for adults under the name Kris Bock. 

Good luck with your new and future endeavors, Chris!

7 Things You Don't Know About Lisa Yee

In 2008, we chatted with author Lisa Yee in person. In May 2010, we picked her novel Absolutely Maybe for our book club discussion. Now it's 2014, and Lisa's about to reveal...

7 Things You Don't Know About Me
1. I fail at taking naps, but want to get good at them.
2. Telephone conversations make me anxious.
3. I once had a pet chicken named Herbie Gordon.
4. Last year I rode a camel in the Dubai desert.
5. I am frequently confused over, where to put commas.
6. One time, while running the spotlight for a community theater production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, I was daydreaming and left Joseph in the dark for about a minute.
7. I was never asked back to run the spotlight.

Remember, we're catching up with spotlighted authors* all month long here at readergirlz, so come early and comment often! :)

* Yes, that was intentional. You must have seen that coming.

7 Things You Don't Know About Sarah Mlynowski

Sarah Mlynowski has hung out with the readergirlz on more than one occasion. She participated in 31 Flavorites in October 2007 (and also dropped in to say hi to Lauren Myracle during Lauren's chat). She shared the story behind the cover of her book Gimme a Call with rgz diva Melissa Walker. Little Willow met her in person when E. Lockhart, Lauren Myracle, and Sarah Mlynowski were promoting their book How to Be Bad. (LW adds: That was an awesome day, y'all.)

Today, Sarah's new book DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT is available everywhere. Everywhere! In honor of the rgz anniversary and in honor of the book's release, here are 7 things you didn't know about Sarah Mlynowski... until now.
 
1. I bite my nails.
2. My little sister is a reality TV show producer.
3. The only sports team I was ever on was the newcomball team at sleepaway camp. What is newcomball? It’s like volleyball, except you catch the ball before throwing it over the net. I’m not sure it’s a real sport. Maybe I shouldn’t be too excited that I won the MIP (Most Improved Player) award in 1988.
4. Gordon Kormon spoke at my school when I was in third grade. (I know that makes him sound old, but he was only 15 at the time.)
5. After Gordon’s visit I decided to write my own book, Lizzie Forshort. It’s about a girl whose name is Elizabeth but is called Lizzie...for short! My mom typed up the manuscript for me and we sent it to Bantam Books. And that’s the story of very first rejection letter.
6. My husband proposed in Queenstown, New Zealand, in 2003. We’d started dating in1994 when we were seventeen. Took him long enough.
7. My five-year old daughter is a better cook than I am. Last week she made a purée and a meatloaf. Last week I made toast and a cup of coffee.

7 Things You Don't Know About Laurie Halse Anderson

PROM by Laurie Halse Anderson was our featured title in our June 2008 issue. What's new with Laurie? Here's what she shared with us:

7 Things You Don't Know About Me

1. I am writing this list in Muscat, Oman. I've had the chance to visit several American schools overseas in the last couple of years and am having a blast exploring new cultures.

2. I ran a marathon in 2011.

3. I finally got to hang out with Stephen Chbosky (Perks of Being a Wallflower) and am happy to report that he is a super cool guy.

4. I have become obsessed with mint lemonade.

5. I want to write a fantasy, but have not yet figured out how to do it.

6. I'm working on the text for the SPEAK graphic novel that should be published in 2016.

7. I love my life.
Want to know more secrets about your favorite authors? Keep checking this blog all month long to celebrate the seven-year anniversary of readergirlz!

BONUS: Read our roundtable discussion of PROM.

BONUS: Laurie's video celebrating the 10th anniversary of SPEAK in 2009.

What's New with Dia Calhoun

So much has changed since my last readergirlz update! The theme of that change? Follow the creative river of life instead of forcing it into what I think it should be. This began with a return to my true love - writing middle grade fiction - in my books After the River the Sun (2013 Atheneum) and Eva of the Farm (2012 Atheneum). Following are three more examples of following life’s river.

One:  On a solo trip to Italy, I abandoned forever my futile attempts to keep a perfect writer’s journal. (You know--those perfect journals with things pasted in them, immaculate, designed.)

Instead I began keeping a “Word Mess” - a notebook where I scrawl images, rough dashes of poems, bursts of emotions and wisps of thought. The Word Mess is full of cross-outs, arrows, and smudged erasures. A perfect swamp of disorder. What liberation! I fell in love with that most basic of writer’s tools - the pencil.

Two:  I started a blog series called 7:30 BELLS. Every Tuesday I post about what made me feel alive that week--what makes the bells ring. The discipline of have a regular “column” keeps my eyes open.  Follow the series.

Three:  On a hike with my husband, I picked up a stick dabbed with moss. “Look,” I said, “It’s a fairy wand.” He asked, “Are you really going to carry that for the entire hike?” I said, “Yes! ” Now I am making fantastic sculptures out of wood, stone, and moss. (I can use a drill press! I have a toolbox full of tools I love - chisels, gouges, rasps. Maybe one day I will sell these sculptures. Maybe not. That doesn’t matter.

Because the most powerful thing I’ve learned in the past five years is that outcome doesn’t matter- making, creating, living does. When you let go of where you think your life should lead, and follow the river instead, wonders await.

Stay tuned for what’s around the next bend. I know I am.

~ Dia

7 Things You Don't Know About Joan Holub

Joan Holub, author and co-founder of readertotz, joins us today to celebrate the readergirlz anniversary. Here are some secrets she's shared with us...

7 Things You Don't Know About Me

1. My prom dress still fits.
2. My wedding dress drowned in Hurricane Katrina.
3. I wrote a picture book about a red pencil writing a book that got 3 starred reviews.
4. I used to be an illustrator.
5. I co-write 2 tween series with Suzanne Williams, Goddess Girls and Grimmtastic Girls.
5. I can make a train choo-choo sound without moving my lips.
6. I blog with readergirlz co-founder Lorie Ann Grover at http://readertotz.blogspot.com

Want to know more secrets about your favorite authors? Keep checking the readergirlz blog all month long!

What's New with Meg Cabot

From the Desk of

Meg Cabot

Dear Readergirlz,

 

Happy Birthday! Wow, I can’t believe it’s been SEVEN years!  You’ve blown me away by all the work you’ve done promoting literacy (especially female-centric literacy) since I last chatted with you (about my YA stand-alone, How To Be Popular).

Since then, I’ve introduced readers to several new YA and adult series (including new installments in my Heather Wells mysteries series!), as well as my first series for middle grade readers, Allie Finkle’s Rules for Girls.

This seems hard to believe, too, but 2015 will be the 15th anniversary of my first YAs ever, The Princess Diaries and The Mediator: Shadowland. Time sure does fly. I like to think that those series (like your site) helped do their part to spark the current surge in popularity of YA (especially female-centric YA)!

So since 2007, I’ve also been focused on giving back to my readers all around the world, not just with books, but by contributing my income from a number of anthologies to benefit organizations like Reading is Fundamental, UNHCR (the UN Refugee Agency), and the public libraries of New York City. I also donated all my proceeds from the novel Ransom My Heart by Mia Thermopolis, Princess of Genovia (with a little help from me!) to Greenpeace.  You can read all about it here.

Anyway, like I said, keep up the great work, Readergirlz, and happy birthday! May you have many, many more.

Love,

Meg Cabot

Bonus: Little Willow interviewed Meg Cabot for rgz in 2008. Watch the video below, or click here!

What's New with Kelly Bingham

In April 2008, our book club pick was Kelly Bingham's SHARK GIRL.

Want to know what happened to protagonist Jane? Pick up the sequel, entitled FORMERLY SHARK GIRL. "I wrote the sequel because so many readers wrote to me, asking questions about the characters in SHARK GIRL," Kelly told us. "This meant a lot to me. People wanted to know more, so I wrote more!"

If you have younger siblings or baby cousins, hit the picture book section for Kelly's book Z IS FOR MOOSE. That also has a sequel: CIRCLE, SQUARE, MOOSE will be available this September.  

Kelly says, "I'm currently working on lots of new books and enjoying every minute of it!" We look forward to seeing/reading what you come up with, Kelly!

BONUS! Check out the readergirlz roundtable discussion of SHARK GIRL.

7 Things You Don't Know About Melissa Walker

Happy anniversary, readergirlz!
In honor of our seven-year anniversary, we're catching up with rgz divas and featured authors. Kicking off our anniversary series (or shall we say, anniver-series?) of posts is none other than our own Melissa Walker.

7 Things You Don't Know About Me:
1. I have kept a diary every year since third grade.
2. I have been known to sip pickle juice straight from the jar.
3. My dad passed away 10 years ago, but I can still hear his voice when I need advice.
4. I love the idea of collecting sea glass, but I'm lazy about actually doing it when I'm at the beach.
5. I find it delightful when cocktails are served in their proper glasses.
6. I sing show tunes to my two-year-old in hopes that one day she'll be my Broadway companion (my husband isn't into musicals).
7. I still think the world looks magic if someone is blowing bubbles nearby.

We'll be posting updates and tidbits from familiar faces all month long here at the readergirlz blog. Stay tuned and celebrate with us!