dream big news

To close out January, I have some news to share from the Dream Big Department.

I’ve been working on a passion project for over 10 years. In response to the suckitude of 2016, I made an executive decision in December that 2017 was going to be Year on Fire. As in I didn’t come to play. I came to SLAY. I made a list of goals for 2017 and hit the ground running on Day 1 to make those big dreams reality.

One of my 2017 goals was to collaborate on this project. Which I will tell you all about when I can! Another 2017 goal was to do a deal with Alloy Entertainment. Warner Bros. TV owns Alloy. Guess where I was today?

Alloy acquired this project and we are working on it together. Two dream big 2017 goals already checked off! We had a development meeting that was freaking amazing. I can’t wait to share more with you soon.

Here’s to manifesting your big dreams in 2017 ❤

10th annual nyc teen author festival

Has it really been 10 years since superstar David Levithan organized the first NYC Teen Author Festival? A whole freaking decade?

Apparently.

Get ready for the 10th Annual NYC Teen Author Festival, happening March 18-26!

Dude. SO many fabulous authors will be at this thing it’s unreal. I mean, just look at the full schedule of events. How amazing is that?

If you are in the New York City area the weekend of March 25-26, you can totally find me at the festival. Here’s where I’ll be:

Saturday, March 25 – 7:00-9:00 pm

McNally Jackson Books
52 Prince Street
New York, NY 10012

What Is a Love Story? panel with Kayla Cagan, Susane Colasanti, Pete Hoffmeister, Adam Silvera, Sarvenaz Tash, Maggie Thrash, and Nicola Yoon. Moderated by David Levithan.

Sunday, March 26 – 1:30-2:00 pm

Books of Wonder
18 West 18th Street
New York, NY 10011

10th Annual Ginormous Signing! With a ridiculous amount of authors! Which you absolutely do not want to miss!

Hope to see you at one of these events, friendly neighbors! xoxo

forever in love pre-ordering

Do you know what this is?

It’s the first pass of Forever in Love, the final book of my City Love trilogy! Forever in Love comes out on July 11, but you can pre-order your shiny new copy now.

• Pre-order from Amazon
• Pre-order from Barnes & Noble
• Pre-order from IndieBound

The first pass is a printout of what the book pages will look like. Scrutinizing the first pass allows the publisher to make sure everything looks okay and catch any remaining bits that should be corrected. This is also my last chance to make any small changes I think would be improvements. And, a year after submitting the first draft to my editor, it is a beautiful thing to see these pages finally looking like a book.

Thanks to everyone who has read City Love or Lost in Love. I hope the trilogy concludes in a good way for you! xoxo

the female of the species

You know when you read a really good book, maybe one of the best books you’ve ever read in your life, and then the next book you read blows you away too? And, if you are very lucky, the ones after that? So you’re reading a bunch of books in a row that are consuming your soul and every day you look forward to getting back to your current book because you are having so much fun reading it’s like this whole euphoric state with endorphins firing and epiphanies sparking that transports you to another plane of existence because reading is the best drug ever?

Welcome to my world.

I have been on a natural reading high for months now. Why? Because dude. Look around. Have you seen the phenomenal teen novels out there? Specifically what is shining in the contemporary, realistic genre, which is where I live? I mean…wow.

The Female of the Species by Mindy McGinnis is what I am talking about.

First of all, just look at this cover. Have you ever seen a cover like this? No. No, you have not. Because rock star cover designer Erin Fitzsimmons, who also designed my covers for the City Love trilogy, is a freaking genius. There is no way you could look at this cover and not be intrigued.

Then you open the book and Mindy McGinnis sucks you into her vortex of brilliance so stellar you wonder which solar system you are spinning in.

The Female of the Species is extraordinary. There is just no other book quite like it. It is a striking, captivating story that will break your heart and empower you all at once. This book is an outstanding example of YA fiction at its best. I am so grateful that Mindy McGinnis wrote this story. I know it is speaking to a lot of readers and will resonate with many more. I know it is making teens feel less alone.

Shout-out to our publisher, Katherine Tegen, for sending me this book when I fangirled all over Twitter in anticipation. Some books are so good you just know you will fall in love with them even before you’ve read the first word. Basically? MM dropped the mic.

Happy winter reading, friendly neighbors! xoxo

2017

Yay yay freaking YAY 2017!!!

I am psyched out of my head that 2017 is finally here. 2016 was one bummer after another…and now things are looking WAY up.

I am really looking forward to embracing change, having courage in the face of fear, and taking things up a bunch of notches this year. And that includes sharing shiny new creative developments with you! The author life is a wild ride. 2017 is bringing lots of exciting things. Can’t wait to do more dream chasing and work harder than ever to make more big dreams reality. I hope you are with me, friendly neighbors!

This is our year. Make it shine. xoxo