NYT best selling author

Thursday, December 31, 2009

Happy New Year!

My New Year's question to those of you who have been to book signings: What's the best thing about signings, and what's the worst? Also, what can authors do to make it even better? I've done many signings and would love to know what you love/hate about them. Please leave me a comment with details -- I want to do what I can to make my book signings worth your time.

In other 2010 news:

FADE comes out in paperback January 5. And GONE will finally be here February 9. Eeee!

My schedule is getting full for 2010. Check to see if I'm coming to a city near you.
Looking forward to meeting lots of fans! And if you are anywhere near Vero Beach, Florida, on February 27, I hope you'll come join me at my birthday signing. :D If I have to be away from family on my birthday, there's no better bunch of people to spend my day with than you. I may even bring a treat. Peanut butter for all!

Hope all your dreams come true in the new year.

Love and stuff,

Lisa

Saturday, December 26, 2009

Read WAKE free!

Need a break from your winter break? Download WAKE for free between 12/26-12/31. You get 30 days to read it before it disappears.

Enjoy! Pick up FADE in paperback January 5. GONE hardcover comes out February 9.

Don't miss the GONE tour! If you want signed/personalized copies of my books but you're not near one of my tour stops, call one of the stores before my event there and order copies -- I'll sign it just for you and the store will ship it to you. GONE Tour.

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

The 14-city GONE Tour!

GONE (Wake, bk 3) releases Feb 9, 2010. Tour will immediately follow. Can't wait to see you! If you aren't near an event but want to buy signed/personalized copies of any of my books, call one of these stores ahead of time and order them. I'll sign them when I'm there and they'll send them out to you -- most stores are more than happy to take your order and ship books to you for a reasonable shipping fee.

*Tuesday, Feb 9, 2010, 7:00pm
w/ Becca Fitzpatrick (Hush, Hush)
Changing Hands Bookstore
6428 S. McClintock Dr.
Tempe, AZ 85283
480.730.0205

*Wednesday, Feb 10, 2010, 7:00pm
w/ Becca Fitzpatrick (Hush, Hush)
Barnes & Noble Oceanside
El Camino North Shopping Center
2615 Vista Way
Oceanside, CA 92054
760-529-0106

*Thursday, Feb 11, 2010, 7:00pm
w/ Becca Fitzpatrick (Hush, Hush)
Mysterious Galaxy
7051 Clairemont Mesa Blvd, Suite 302
San Diego, CA 92111
858.268.4747

*Friday, Feb 12, 2010 4:00pm
w/ Becca Fitzpatrick (Hush, Hush)
Mrs. Nelson's Toy and Book Shop
1030 Bonita Ave.
La Verne, CA 91750
(909) 599-4558
mrsnelsons@mrsnelsons.com

*Saturday, Feb 13, 2010, 11:00a.m.
w/ Becca Fitzpatrick (Hush, Hush)
Sam's Club
7480 Carson Street
Long Beach, CA 90808

*Friday, Feb 19, 2010, 7:00pm
Barnes & Noble Chandler Fashion Mall
3111 W. Chandler Blvd #2054
Chandler, AZ 85226
480-792-1312

*Saturday, Feb 20, 2010, 2:00pm
Barnes & Noble Eastside
w/ Robin Brande (Fat Cat)
5130 E. Broadway
Tucson, AZ 85711
520-512-1166

*Monday, Feb 22, 2010, 7:00pm
w/Heather Brewer (Eleventh Grade Burns - Vlad Tod #4)
St. Louis County Library Headquarters
1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd. @ Clayton Rd.
St Louis, MO 63131
(314) 994-3300

*Wednesday, Feb 24, 2010, 6:30pm
Little Shop of Stories
133A East Court Square
Decatur, Georgia 30030
(404) 373-6300

*Thursday, Feb 25, 2010, (Time TBA)
Inkwood Books
216 South Armenia Avenue
Tampa, FL 33609
(813) 253-2638

*Friday, Feb 26, 2010, 6:00pm
Books & Books
265 Aragon Ave.
Coral Gables, FL 33134
305.442.4408

*Friday, Feb 27, 2010, 3:00pm
The Vero Beach Book Center
2145 Indian River Blvd.
Vero Beach, FL 32960
(772)569.6650

*Monday, March 1, 2010, 7:00pm
Books&Co at The Greene
4453 Walnut Street
Dayton, OH 45440
937-429-6302

*Tuesday, March 2, 2010, 7:00pm
Joseph-Beth Booksellers
2692 Madison Road
Cincinnati, OH 45208
Phone: 513-396-8960

Monday, December 21, 2009

FAQs

Wow, I have been getting a TON of fan mail lately, and I'm having a hard time keeping up. On my website I have an FAQ link, so you can find out info there. But I'll answer some questions here from time to time too, taken from the letters you send me. Here are the most frequent questions I get:

1. I read Cabel's Side of the Story on your website and loved it! Will you write the rest of the book from Cabe's perspective?
I don't have any plans to write a full book from Cabel's perspective at this time. Maybe someday down the road.

2. Are you going to write more books?
Why yes, yes I am. WAKE, FADE and GONE are a trilogy, and GONE comes out Feb 9, 2010. After that I have a YA paranormal stand-alone thriller called CRYER'S CROSS that will be out in spring 2011.

Beyond that is THE UNWANTEDS, a middle grade dystopian fantasy about creative children getting sent to their deaths, coming fall 2011.
And then DEAD TO YOU, a YA emotional thriller about a 16-year-old boy who, missing for the past nine years, returns home, coming spring 2012.

3. I'm writing a report on you/your books for a school project. What would you say is the theme of your books?
Okay, listen up: I can't do your homework for you. Please don't ask me questions that sound like they come straight off your assignment. That's YOUR job to figure out the theme, symbolism, denouement, rising/falling action, plot... When I was a kid...oh, never mind. But you know what I'm going to say. Don't ask me to do your homework for you. It makes me cranky. I don't answer letters like that.

However, if you need info about me, it's amazing what you can find by googling. You can learn stuff on the Lisa McMann wikipedia page (which is rather sparse. How about one of you doing a report updates the wiki while you're at it, hmm?) Or here: I was born in Holland, Michigan in 1968. I have two brothers and a sister. I graduated with a B.A. in English in 1990 from Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Now I live in Arizona with my husband, son, and daughter. I have a dog and a cat. My hobbies include cooking, reading, and watching reality TV. I love avocados. Uh...I have about 30 short stories in print, the most famous of which is called The Day of the Shoes (Google it). Another is called Like Waves on Rocks (you know what to do). These short stories are NOTHING like the WAKE books.


4. You should make a movie of your books!
I'd totally love to see a WAKE movie. At this time, we have received many inquiries from Hollywood and two offers, but sadly, neither of them worked out. I will keep you posted on any developments, but right now, there are no plans for a WAKE movie. Cross your fingers that it happens someday! Also, many of you want to star in the movie. Just so you know, if a movie ever happens, I will have no control over who is cast. But I'd pick YOU if I could! :)

Hope your holidays are awesome.

Monday, December 14, 2009

Finally...some very exciting news I can share!

From Publisher's Weekly

and a Press Release from my publisher, Simon & Schuster:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

BESTSELLING AUTHOR LISA MCMANN SIGNS

FOUR-BOOK DEAL WITH SIMON & SCHUSTER CHILDREN’S PUBLISHING

New York, NY, December 14, 2009— Lisa McMann, the New York Times bestselling author of the young adult paranormal thrillers Wake and Fade and the forthcoming February 2010 release Gone, has signed a four-book deal with Simon Pulse and Aladdin, imprints of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing. The deal, for world rights, including audio, is for two young adult novels to be published by Simon Pulse, and two middle-grade novels to be published by Aladdin. Michael Bourret of Dystel and Goderich negotiated the deal, and is handling film rights.

Dead to You, a young adult novel of psychological suspense about a teenage boy who was abducted nine years ago and is now returning to his family, will be published on the Pulse list in hardcover in spring 2012 with a paperback edition to follow in spring 2013. Pulse will also publish a yet-to-be-titled young adult novel in hardcover in spring 2013 with a paperback edition in spring 2014. Aladdin will publish The Unwanteds, a dystopian middle-grade fantasy novel about kids who are exiled from their homeland when they display signs of creativity to a hidden world where they are trained to use their abilities and hone their magical skills, in hardcover in fall 2011 with a paperback edition in fall 2012, and a yet-to-be titled middle grade novel in hardcover in fall 2012 and paperback in fall 2013.

“Lisa McMann is incredibly creative and the characters she creates leap off the page,” said Bethany Buck, VP & Publisher of Aladdin and Simon Pulse. “Lisa has taken the world of young adult paranormal romance by storm and the publication of these new novels for teens and middle graders will expand the work of this rising star to a broader audience, and we couldn’t be more pleased about it.”

“I'm absolutely thrilled to continue bringing new, edgy YA characters to life with the wonderful Simon Pulse group, and anticipating tremendous fun spreading out a bit into the world of middle grade dystopian fantasy with Aladdin,” said Lisa McMann. “Simon & Schuster has supported me from the beginning and I'm so proud to be a part of the team.”

Lisa McMann is also the author of Wake and Fade. She lives with her family in Phoenix, AZ. Visit Lisa at www.lisamcmann.com or www.myspace.com/lisamcmann, and on Facebook and Twitter.

ABOUT SIMON & SCHUSTER CHILDREN’S PUBLISHING

Simon & Schuster, a part of CBS Corporation, is a global leader in the field of general interest publishing, dedicated to providing the best in fiction and nonfiction for consumers of all ages, across all printed, electronic, and audio formats. Its divisions include Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing, Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, Simon & Schuster Audio, Simon & Schuster Digital, and international companies in Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit our website at www.simonandschuster.com

Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, one of the leading children’s book publishers in the world, is comprised of the following imprints: Aladdin, Atheneum Books for Young Readers, Beach Lane Books, Libros para niƱos, Little Simon®, Little Simon Inspirations™, Margaret K. McElderry Books, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, Simon Pulse, Simon Scribbles, and Simon Spotlight®. While maintaining an extensive award-winning backlist, the division continues to publish acclaimed and bestselling books for children of all ages. In addition to numerous Caldecott, Newbery, and National Book Award winners, Simon & Schuster publishes such high-profile properties and series as Eloise, Olivia, Raggedy Ann & Andy™, Henry & Mudge®, The Hardy Boys®, Nancy Drew®, The Spiderwick Chronicles, Jon Scieszka’s Trucktown, Nickelodeon’s® Dora the Explorer®, Wonderpets® and SpongeBob SquarePants®, and coloring & activity books for Universal’s Curious George®. For more information about Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, visit our website at http://www.simonandschuster.com

Friday, December 11, 2009

Agent Appreciation Day: An ode to Michael Bourret

I heard through twitter that it's Agent Appreciation Day today, and I can't pass up the opportunity to love on my agent, Michael Bourret of Dystel & Goderich Literary Management.

When I first started agent hunting in 2006, I ran across Michael and read his bio on the DGLM website. It was short, simple, and funny, and he liked all the same books I liked as a kid. I took an instant liking to him. I was told at the time (by people who had agents) that there is no such thing as a "dream agent" but I kept coming back to Michael. I sent him a query for my first manuscript. Sadly, I never heard back. (We discovered later that he remembered that query, asked to see pages, but his email to me bounced because my server was messed up. Proof that email fails, people -- never let an unanswered query sour you on your dream agent!)

That first manuscript never made it, but a few months later I had WAKE ready to query. Michael was in my first batch of emails for that query, and the first to respond requesting the full manuscript. Five days later, amidst other agent interest, we became a team, and I can't imagine a better fit for me.

Michael is savvy and smart, he's on the cutting edge of technology, and he has incredible passion for books. He's also extremely personable, yet doesn't hesitate to fight on my behalf when necessary. He's an incredible agent, born for this job. But he's so much more than an agent. He is a confidant and friend. I am the luckiest author in the world to have him on my side.

In case I didn't say it today yet, you rock, Michael!