I had a blast this past weekend at Weslaco and Mission Hills High Schools and at my book signing at The Storybook Garden in Weslaco, Texas. I met so many great writers. I want to thank everyone who made it possible and everyone who gave me such a warm welcome.
I got home Sunday and started reading Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen. I’m really enjoying it. Have any of you read her books? What are you reading right now?
I finally finished writing Unspoken and did my happy dance around my house. Not that I was glad to be done with Della, that’s not it at all. I’ll miss her like crazy. It’s just that Unspoken was a hard book to write, not only because Della got herself into so much trouble I was nervous she’d never be able to get herself out, but also because I had a lot of distractions while I was writing (like hubby getting a new kidney). But now it’s finished and in the hands of my editor. So, Della’s final book, Unspoken, is scheduled to be released October 28, 2015. You can pre-order it now at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Kobo.
In the meantime, Spellbinder will be out on June 30, 2015. So, you can look forward to Miranda’s novella. She has quite an adventure in Paris, where she goes for a huge magic tournament. It seems someone wants to win so badly, they’re killing off the competition. And Miranda’s in the cross hairs! Pre-order your copy at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Kobo.
Me? Well, I’ll be going to conferences and book signings and plotting what’s next. And as soon as know what’s coming, I’ll be sure to let you guys know. Like this Thursday, May 21st, I’ll be at The Storybook Garden in Weslaco, TX, starting at 6:00 PM. I’ll be giving a short talk and signing books. You just never know what might happen! Then, RWA’s Annual Conference will be in New York City in July, and I can’t wait. I love the Big Apple! I’ll be participating in their annual Literacy Autographing on Wednesday, July 22. Follow the link for a full listing of all the authors who will be there. Oh and, hopefully, I’ll even find a little time to squeeze in a beach holiday at some point. Happy summer!
P.S. Thank you to all the fans who showed up at RT. You guys made me feel so special.
Today, I’m in Dallas, Texas for RT’s Convention at the Hyatt Regency Hotel. I have been looking forward to this for months! Not only is RT’s Convention the booklover’s party of the year, but they have lots of special events for the YA reader. And of course I always love catching up with all of my writer friends. I can’t wait!
On Saturday, May 16th, there is a Teen Day, Fan-tastic Day and Book Fair. You can register online till May 15th, but you may also purchase tickets on site the day of the event. Teen Day will have a Fierce Reads Pizza Party, with book, t-shirt and tote bag giveaways—and of course lots of pizza. There will be loads of giveaways and chances to talk with YA authors. Oh and don’t forget the games! There will be YA Family Feud where you’ll test your knowledge of YA lit and the YA Edition of the Match Game. Will you win? And of course there will be a Teen Day Party! Those are only a few of the highlights!
Can’t wait for May 16th? Put on your jammies and join us for some spooky, silly fun and games on May 12th at the YA Spooky Slumber Party! Challenge your favorite YA authors to time-honored slumber party favorites like Truth or Dare and Boy Meets Girl, and create your very own spooky flash fiction. Snacks and prizes abound — and the best slippers win!
Plus, there will be tons of workshops at the convention for any writer, no matter your genre or where you are in your career.
On Saturday, May 16th, there is also a GIANT Book Fair with over 500 authors signing their books, posters, bookmarks, etc. And the best thing is the fair is open to the public and you can purchase tickets at the door. You may also bring in your books from home to get them autographed. However, they must be checked in and stamped (with invisible ink, so there’s no damage to your books) before you enter the book fair. Only two books from home per author are allowed.
Please let me know by leaving a comment if you’ll be coming to the conference or book fair and I’ll bring something special for you.
The winners of last week’s giveaway of my packets of swag are Sheila Ryals and Maddie. Please email your mailing addresses to cc@cchunterbooks.com. Congratulations!
Most of you have read my Shadow Falls and Shadow Falls: After Dark series. An underlining theme in those books are about discovering who you are and what you are. I think by writing them, I sort of got curious about myself. Now, as odd as I am, I’ve always been pretty sure I’m all human. But what kind of human? One day before Christmas last year, I was watching TV and a commercial came on about checking your DNA. I told hubby, “I want to do that. Maybe I’ll have a little vampire in me.”
Well, for Christmas one of my gifts was the DNA test. It was pretty easy. Spit in a test tube and mail it off. I remember my grandmother telling me that one of my great-great grandmothers on my grandfather’s side claimed to be French. “She was lying,” my grandmother told me. “She was American Indian.” I was also told that I had a lot of Scottish blood.
I sent that test tube off in the mail and waited for an email to answer my questions. And I discovered that I’m 40ish % English or Scottish, I’m 16% Irish, 20ish % Scandinavian and . . . 6 % . . . not American Indian, but . . . French. My grandma was wrong. Then, I have a trace of Western Asian. (Say what?)
My daughter, who is totally into the family history, did some checking on Ancestery.com. And you know that French ancestor? Well, her name was Mary Lafoon Keith (Keith, which is my mother’s maiden name), and she is considered a Revolutionary War Heroine. She was known to ride and warn the American’s that the enemy approached.
Could that be where I get my spunk?
Okay, so I’m not a vampire like Della, or like Kylie who is a Chameleon, or Miranda who is a witch, but it’s interesting to look back into our roots, or DNA, and see where we came from and question from where or who we might have gotten some of our odd behaviors.
Do you know where you came from? What are your roots?
Today, I’ll give away two gift packs of some of my new promotional items to two people who leave a comment.