keep holding on twitter giveaway

Woot! Keep Holding On is out in paperback today! Not only am I stoked for the shiny new cover, but the paperbacks really are shiny. They have glossy covers. Love.

Of course I’m celebrating with a giveaway. All of these author copies won’t fit in my cabinet.

Here’s how to enter this Twitter giveaway:

1. Follow me on Twitter.

2. Tweet this:

Win a shiny new signed paperback of #KeepHoldingOn! Follow @susanecolasanti and RT to enter. Giveaway info here: http://susanecolasanti.wordpress.com/

Giveaway rules:

1. All entries must be tweeted by Monday, April 29 at 11:11 pm.

2. Only one tweet per entrant will be counted.

3. I will announce the winner on Twitter on Tuesday, April 30.

4. The winner will have two days to email me (susanecolasanti at gmail) their full name and mailing address. If a response is not received in time, an alternate winner will be selected.

5. The winning mailing address must be located in the United States.

Happy tweeting!

goodness

Do I have to tell you that it’s been a horrible week? Of course not. The tragedy in Boston was an absolute nightmare. I remember the days and weeks and months after September 11 here in New York. We weren’t sure if another attack was about to happen. Every time I heard a low-flying plane, I braced myself. I avoided taking the subway whenever I could. And I kept my old-school phone with the twisty cord after I got a cordless one just in case I ever need it.

But we eventually emerged from the fear. The depression. The anger. We eventually resumed our normal lives. We will never forget. But we will not let evil dictate who we are. Because if we allow idiots to prevent us from loving life, we encourage more idiots to bust out the crazy. My response to people polluting the world with negative energy is to radiate even more positive energy. So this post is all about the goodness.

1. The first bit of goodness I’d like to share is brought to you by Judi W., first prize winner of the Keep Holding On paperback contest. Her zine cover is super inspirational. Thanks for keeping us where the light is, Judi!

2. You probably know that I’m a massive Flight of the Conchords fangirl. I promise not to go off on a rant about why the best shows ever like Freaks and Geeks and My So-Called Life were only on for one season while mindless shows like America’s Real Hoarder Housewives are on for what feels like an eternity. Flight of the Conchords was only on for two brilliant seasons. It’s just night right, you guys. The loss is palpable.

So how happy was I when my boyfriend took me to the Flight of the Conchords conference room at HBO?

Ah yeah. Goodness squared, baby. All that conference room needs is an oven. Then Jemaine could do the talking oven. “Let’s bake a cake!”

3. You might have heard a rumor that I’m turning 40 on May Day. Not sure how that happened. However, I’ve checked my records and apparently it’s true. I’m not into throwing parties for myself. But this is 40. So I’m having a Fabulous at 40 party at a swanky lounge in Tribeca. Months ago when Fabulous at 40 was in its initial planning stages, I visualized the cake very clearly. Vanilla funfetti cake. Vanilla buttercream frosting. Fabulous written across the cake in hot pink script. Rainbow sprinkles. And instead of candles, one sparkler. Guess what cake we’ll be enjoying at Fabulous at 40? That one! Well, almost. Lady M is doing strawberry shortcake instead of vanilla. Even better. Yay for unexpected goodness.

4. Speaking of birthdays, my all-time fave book, The Little Prince, turned 70 on April 6. I celebrated with these:

Why yes, you are looking at Birthday Cake Good Humor bars. They are new. They are delicious. And these were two for five. Good Humor always brings the goodness. But trust me. These take goodness to a whole other level. Highly recommended.

5. Finally, much exciting book goodness is coming up in the next few weeks. This weekend I’ll be chilling with my fellow book nerds at IRA in San Antonio. Here’s where you can find me. Next week Keep Holding On comes out in paperback on April 23. Stay tuned for more giveaways on Twitter and Facebook. Then I’ll be gearing up for the release of my seventh novel, All I Need, on May 21. Of course I’ll post my event schedule, contests, and related funtivities right here.

Thanks to Willa’s Ramblings for this sweet All I Need review. And thanks to everyone else who snagged advance copies and let me know you enjoyed the book. I’m hoping it will be one of those romantic summer reads that’s perfect for the beach.

Wishing you a beautiful weekend filled with much goodness. Let’s keep us where the light is

so much closer uk

How much do I love the cover of the So Much Closer UK edition?

I can’t tell you how sweet it is to write a book with all sorts of quirky details and then have some of those quirky details show up on the cover. This is a story about looking up. There’s so much we notice, so many opportunities that arise when we look up in life (both literally and metaphorically). Water towers are just one example of the awesomeness you can see when you look up in New York City. I’ve always had a thing for water towers. Origami is a big part of the story. Hence the cranes. Then there’s the High Line (third row, second photo). Don’t even get me started on the High Line. Of course there’s a cupcake. And coffeehouses and buildings and Central Park and city lights and all these things I adore about New York. Snaps for my UK publisher, Scholastic, for designing another gorgeous cover. They totally captured the essence of this book. They did an amazing job with the When It Happens cover too.

So Much Closer will be out in the UK on May 2. Cheers to my friendly neighbors across the pond!

ira

Greetings, friendly neighbors! Sorry to be a bit MIA this week. I’m on deadline and overwhelmed with work. But I wanted to check in quickly to let you know that I’ll be at the IRA Convention in San Antonio next weekend. Going to IRA has been a goal of mine for years. I am a huge conference nerd. Like, massive. Can’t wait to participate in the funtivities.

Here’s where you can find me at IRA:

Saturday, April 20, 2013
3:00 – 5:45 pm
YA Choices Program
YA Authors Who Make a Difference

Sunday, April 21, 2013
10:00 – 11:00 am
Penguin in-booth signing
Booth #3323

Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center
200 East Market Street
San Antonio, TX 78205
Phone: 877.504.8895

Hope to see you there!

keep holding on paperback contest

Keep Holding On comes out in paperback on April 23. With a shiny new cover!

I am of course celebrating with a contest. I’m giving away three paperback copies to three very creative friendly neighbors. Will you be one of them?

In Keep Holding On, Noelle and SImon start a zine. The purpose of the zine is to unite fringe teens everywhere and help people feel less alone. The zine has no name. Yet. That’s where you come in. What should the zine be called? It’s okay if you haven’t read the book. You can still think of an awesome title for a zine that wants to make a difference in this world.

For those of you who haven’t read Keep Holding On, here’s some info about the zine. Simon Bruckner describes the zine as one that will reach out and bring people together. The zine will be both online and in print. Noelle and Simon are using a physical cut-and-paste technique to create the cover and pages to achieve an authentic old-school quality. The pages are scanned for the online edition and copied for the print edition. Print copies are distributed at school as an underground initiative. The content of the zine includes poetry, short stories, photos, artwork, comics, haiku, fanfiction, journal entires, and other creative material that resonates with teens everywhere.

To enter this contest, send me your title for the zine. Include artwork to show what the title will actually look like on the cover. You can even design the cover of the first edition if you’re feeling extra inspired.

Prizes:

First prize – a signed hardcover of Keep Holding On and a signed paperback of Keep Holding On

Second and third prizes – a signed paperback of Keep Holding On

To enter:

1. Submit your title for the zine. Include artwork showing how the title will look on the cover. Artwork can be as simple as just the font of the title or as elaborate as designing the entire cover.

2. Email your entry to me at susanecolasanti at gmail. Please include your full name and mailing address with your entry.

3. This contest is international. Anyone can enter.

Deadline:

Entries must be received by Wednesday, April 17 at 11:11 pm.

Bring on the creative energy!

first review

The first major review of All I Need is in from Kirkus:

ALL I NEED
Author: Susane Colasanti

An unlikely young couple finds true love during summer break—but can it withstand their different lives?

Skye spends her summers vacationing on the Jersey Shore in her family’s large beach house, positive that nothing interesting will ever happen. Unexpectedly, she meets Seth at a party on the last night of the summer, and the chemistry is immediate and intense. A plan to exchange contact information goes awry, and they part not knowing how to find each other. Fate reunites the couple the next summer, and they decide to make their relationship work. Well-to-do Skye and Seth, a boy of lesser means, must find common ground despite their very different lives: Seth worries endlessly about money and paying for his Ivy League education, while Skye is still working through high school dramas. As Seth and Skye feel their way through the trials and tribulations of young love, the world marches on around them, and the two of them shakily navigate how to find their place together in it. Romantic and swooning plotlines filled with chance encounters soon dissipate into the real-life logistics of making a relationship work. Readers shouldn’t fret: The romance ramps back up to a swelling crescendo, sure to leave enthusiasts sighing and reaffirmed about the power of true love.

Grab your blankets and sunscreen now: This is an ideal summer beach book. (Romance. 13 & up)

Good to see that the two main goals for this book may have been achieved. I wanted to write my most romantic book yet. And I wanted to write a fun beach read. Thanks for the affirmations, Kirkus!

spring giveaway

Woot! Vernal equinox is in the hizzouse!

This. Is my favorite day. Of the entire year.

I’ve waited for this day for six months. And now spring is finally here. Forget that it’s still freezing out. Waving my hands in the air because I really don’t care. All that matters is that spring is officially here. The first day of spring makes me so happy that I’m celebrating with a giveaway. My new book, All I Need, comes out in two months on May 21. Want to win an ARC?

Let’s mix it up. We’ll do this one over on my Facebook fan page.

How to enter:

1. Like my Facebook fan page.

2. Comment on the All I Need giveaway post on my fan page with one thing you’re looking forward to this spring.

Giveaway rules:

1. All comments must be made by Wednesday, March 27 at 11:11 pm.

2. Only one comment per entrant will be counted.

3. I will announce the winner on Facebook on Friday, March 29.

4. The winning mailing address must be located in the United States. If you live abroad and have a contact in the States who can receive the prize for you, it can be sent to their address.

Happy springtime, friendly neighbors!

festival time

The NYC Teen Author Festival is here! What does that mean? Fabulous funtivities with your fave authors all week, that’s what.

Here’s the complete schedule of events.

Here’s where you can find me:

Friday, March 22, 2:00-3:00 p.m.
Symposium panel – He Said, She Said
NYPL 42nd Street Branch, 476 5th Avenue
Berger Forum, 2nd Floor

Sunday, March 24, 1:00-1:45 p.m.
Ginormous signing!
Books of Wonder
18 West 18th Street

Hope to see you there!

one million

When people ask if I like my job, I tell them that my job isn’t work. It’s a gift. Confucius said, “Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life.” That is exactly how I feel about being an author.

Sometimes I can’t believe this has been my job for six years. I’m so thankful the Universe presented this amazing opportunity. And I’m so thankful I was able to be a high school science teacher for ten years before making my career switch. Reaching out to teens and helping them feel less alone is my purpose in life. That’s why I’m here.

I recently found out that I’m approaching one million books in print. Which is all because of you. So I want to say thank you for everything you have done for me. Thank you for reading my books. Thank you for taking the time to write to me with your emails, comments, and tweets. Thank you for sharing your life and letting me know that you feel inspired to turn your dreams into reality.

Thank you for making this life possible. Much love <3

someday, someday, maybe

Which book am I kissing this week?

Someday, Someday, Maybe by Lauren Graham, coming out on April 30. Fortunately, I’m friends with Lauren’s editor, Jen Smith, so I get to read it early. Thanks to Jen for scoring me an ARC!

Wait. Is this the same Lauren Graham we love from Gilmore Girls and Parenthood? Oh yes. Are we surprised that, in addition to being an exceptional actress, LG is a talented writer? Not at all.

Here’s the Someday, Someday, Maybe synopsis.

*

It’s January 1995, and Franny Banks has just six months left of the three-year deadline she set for herself when she came to New York, dreaming of Broadway and doing “important” work. But all she has to show for her efforts so far is a part in an ad for ugly Christmas sweaters, and a gig waiting tables at a comedy club. Her roommates―her best friend Jane, and Dan, an aspiring sci-fi writer―are supportive, yet Franny knows a two-person fan club doesn’t exactly count as success. Everyone tells her she needs a backup plan, and though she can almost picture moving back home and settling down with her perfectly nice ex-boyfriend, she’s not ready to give up on her goal of having a career like her idols Diane Keaton and Meryl Streep. Not just yet. But while she dreams of filling their shoes, in the meantime, she’d happily settle for a speaking part in almost anything—and finding a hair product combination that works.

Everything is riding on the upcoming showcase for her acting class, where she’ll finally have a chance to perform for people who could actually hire her. And she can’t let herself be distracted by James Franklin, a notorious flirt and the most successful actor in her class, even though he’s suddenly started paying attention. Meanwhile, her bank account is rapidly dwindling, her father wants her to come home, and her agent doesn’t return her calls. But for some reason, she keeps believing that she just might get what she came for.

Someday, Someday, Maybe is a story about hopes and dreams, being young in a city, and wanting something deeply, madly, desperately. It’s about finding love, finding yourself, and perhaps most difficult of all in New York City, finding an acting job.

*

That line about wanting something deeply, madly, desperately is the quality of this story I relate to the most. I love novels about dreaming big and refusing to settle for anything less than your heart desires.

And reading a novel while hearing Lorelai Gilmore’s voice the whole time? Even better.