Book Me, Catching Up. . . with lots of links!

CAKE!! Because, CAKE!!!

Me, recently, posing for the webcam before a Skype visit
(It's how I check my hair ;))

Been a busy few weeks, with the paperback release of THE SUMMER OF LETTING GO.

Seems the paperback has made its way to many Barnes & Noble shelves around the country which is a great thing.

Hoping it finds its way to some reading lists as well. And a reminder that if it finds its way to YOUR summer book club list, I will happily Skype in to your book club meeting of five readers or more. You can contact me through my website if you want more information.

Anyway, to celebrate the paperback release, I threw an awesome (if I do say so myself!) Palooza at the Huntington Public Library.

Despite it being one of the first sunny and warm weekend days of the year, we had a pretty full house and an extraordinary group of kids who stayed for the WHOLE event, from 90-Second Read Aloud through the book sale & signing, through the tween & teen only Writers Workshop!

It was a four-hour day -- not sure I'd ever make it that long again, though it flew! -- and the kids all seemed to have a good time.

This awesome animoto video was made by teacher extraordinaire Kristen Picone who brought so many enthusiastic students to the event, it truly blew all us authors away!

https://animoto.com/play/bVwluaELhTTuxLYm20l00w

Those are some lucky kids in HER class!!!

That's Kristen with some of her students!

Here are a few photos from the event. If you want to see more, you can find the link to the whole album on my Facebook author page HERE.

Matt Blackstone, reading from SORRY YOU'RE LOST
a perennial favorite of mine

A student, ready with the bell! All those other hands up,
waiting for their turn with the Power of the Bell!

Listening to readings. . . 

Tracey Baptiste, THE JUMBIES

Charlotte Bennardo, BLONDE OPS

me, reading from SUMMER about kissing. . . 

Me, with the extraordinary Lynda Mullaly Hunt of
ONE FOR THE MURPHY's and FISH IN A TREE...
who drove 6-hrs round trip to be with us for the day!!!

Huge thanks again to the eight wonderful authors who shared the day with me including those pictured above and: Henry Clark, THE BOOK THAT PROVES TIME TRAVEL HAPPENS; Sarah Darer Littman, BACKLASH; Selene Castrovilla, MELT; Kat Yeh, THE TRUTH ABOUT TWINKIE PIE!

I've got a few more events planned and some more writing workshops I'm teaching both locally and not so locally, but maybe local for you! 

First, TOMORROW, I will be at the Fourth Annual AUTHORS UNLIMITED Festival at St. Joseph's college in Patchogue, NY. Promises to be a fun day with lots of awesome authors, so if you're local, PLEASE join us!

Then, coming up in July, I will be teaching a one-night Novel Writing Workshop at the Walt Whitman Birthplace. Please pre-register. The cost is subsidized and a mere $15. 

Also, coming up in October (and I'm super excited about this . . . though I still hope the time passes slowly as I need my summer and my open water swim season to last!!), I will be one of three instructors, along with the incredible Amy Ferris (!! Who I'm going to finally get to meet in person!) and Beverly Donofrio at the PEEC Women of Our Words Writing Retreat. I think if you register before June 1st, there's an early bird special!! So call soon!

Working on some other summer book plans, including to return to the amazing EIGHT COUSINS bookstore in Falmouth, MA. 

Me, showing my section in 59 Reasons. . . !

And, of course, our fourth (!?!?) summer of Teachers Write! Is that possible? Word about start dates should be coming soon! In the meantime, if you haven't heard, Kate Messner's amazing book, 59 Reasons to Write, based on the virtual summer camp program is out now! And if you're thinking about joining this summer, do make sure to join our Facebook page. . . lots of information gets shared there!

So many good things. 

Braved the water on April 18th with two other hardy pals!!!

Anyway, that's all the book catching up to do for now. In the meantime, if you need me, you know where to find me. Some harbor off the Long Island Sound. Already been in... it was freezing, but grand!!!

Thanks for reading here and there any everywhere!

xox gae

SUMMER turns one. . .

B&N Carle Place Long Island

Good lord but time flies.

Noting today's date for some other reason this morning,

I just realized that it's the one-year anniversary of the official release of my second novel, THE SUMMER OF LETTING GO 

which also nearly coincides with its official paperback release March 31st, 

though the paperback has already begun popping up on shelves everywhere.

It's been a wonderful book year.

I've gotten some amazing critical reviews from the likes of the New York Times Book Review (!!!), School Library Journal and Kirkus Reviews, I won another Nerdy Book Club Award for best Young Adult fiction (!!! -- that's two gold statuettes on my mantle) and, most importantly, received some truly lovely and moving emails and tweets from tween and teen readers who have connected deeply with the Frankies. 

And, why YES! Boys do love THE SUMMER OF LETTING GO!

I even have more than one photo to prove it:

I've also visited with some amazing schools and book clubs both via Skype and in person and done some really awesome events where it's hard to decide the best part: the readers or the other amazing authors I have the privilege to meet and read with!   

Like reader Francesca who was super excited to read a book with a main character named after her!

Like new pal, Alan Katz, author of the Take Me Out to the Bathtub books 

and the forthcoming, The Day the Mustache Took Over...

Seriously, I love the look on his face there. . . and the admiration is mutual. . . 

and like the extraordinary Léna Roy, Wendy Corsi Staub, Barbara Dee, Nora Raleigh Baskin and many others!

... and I must say, seeing that New York Times Book Review quote on the back of the paperback is pretty darn amazing!

I'm super hopeful with the release of the paperback this week that my book will find its way into the hands of even more readers. If you have read it and loved it, I remind you again how helpful on line reviews are to an author and to keeping their book in the public eye.

As for the coming months, my calendar is chockfull of events and appearances, including my paperback release PALOOZA & writers workshop (join the page even if you can't join us in person!) and the AUTHORS UNLIMITED BOOK FESTIVAL.

I hope you'll join me when you can, and share my titles with your friends.

With gratitude,

xox

gae