Category: Promo

25 Days of Debs: day 5 Leigh Brescia

Catching up with Day 5 after a long (but extremely fun) Girl Scout day at the Children’s Theatre Company. Today is Leigh Brescia.

Leigh’s Firsts:

Anthology story: When Skies Are Gray

First line: 

The bell jingles overhead as I pass into the morning sunlight, trading the smell of ground coffee beans for wet asphalt, the humid air barely breathable.

Oh, I don’t want to say too much about this story. I’m afraid I’ll spoil it by even hinting at what happens. It’s a must-read–angsty and atmospheric, and romantic in a way that might surprise you.

2009 Debut: One Wish

Catch up with Leigh: Visit her blog!

Musical Interlude: Strings and Clocks

The First Time Trivia: Although I don’t mention the song the cafeteria string quartet is playing in my story The Trouble With Firsts, I spent a lot of time listening to Vitamin String Quartet trying to find the perfect one.

Didn’t know there was such a thing as a cafeteria string quartet? Well, the answer to the why and how is somewhere in The Trouble With Firsts.

25 Days of Debs: day 4 Stacey Jay

It’s day 4 of 25 Days of Debs. Up today is Stacey Jay. Stacey is all about the paranormal–like funny zombies? She’s your gal. Like things a little scarier than that? Check out some of her recent releases and her adult novels.

Stacey’s Firsts:

Anthology story: Sweet Truth

First line: 

If I’m spotted, life as I know it–and the future I’ve dreamt about for sixteen years–is over.

I read this one last night and it does not let up from that first sentence. I really hope she’s basing a novel on this world and these characters.

2009 Debut: You Are So Undead To Me (Zombies are fun! No, really. They are!)

Most recent: Juliet Immortal Again with the cover love. Spectacular:

Remember, The First Time is available for Kindle and Nook.

25 Days of Debs: day 3 Kristina Springer

Day 3 of 25 Days of Debs and I’m going to highlight the rest of the stories and authors as they appear in the table of contents. So, with that, next up is Kristina Springer.

Kristina’s Firsts:

Anthology story: Cart Princess

First line: 

Things I learned on day one of my very first job:

1) Store rules state you should not simultaneously push more than eight carts into the grocery story on your own.

I suspect more than eight carts are going to get pushed–just saying.

2009 Debut: The Espressologist ~ coffee, matchmaking, and every time I see this cover, I want to go to Starbucks (click through for a peek).

Most recent: Just Your Average Princess ~ Stand by for cover love:

Another great holiday gift for the teen girl in your life. Honestly, how can you not love that cover?

Remember, The First Time is available for Kindle and Nook.

25 Days of Debs: day 2 Rhonda Stapleton

It’s day 2 here at 25 Days of Debs. Today, I’m featuring the fantabulous Rhonda Stapleton who generously agreed to help edit The First Time anthology.

Speaking of which, along with being a young adult author, Rhonda also works as an editor, both for a publishing company and as a freelance editor. Need a good set of eyes on your manuscript? I recommend Rhonda wholeheartedly. It was a pleasure being edited by her–even the em-dash culling wasn’t painful. Learn more about her editing here.

Rhonda’s Firsts:

Anthology story: Heart On

First line: 

Matt. Your life is lame.

2009 Debut: Stupid Cupid

Most recent: Struck ~ forthcoming, December 6th, 2011. This is Rhonda’s Stupid Cupid trilogy in one book! The volume includes Stupid Cupid, Flirting With Disaster, and Pucker Up. Plus, look at the cover:

Have a teen girl in your life? I’m thinking Struck would make a great holiday present.

Remember, The First Time is available for Kindle and Nook.

25 Days of Debs: day 1 Jessica Verday

I’m celebrating the release of The First Time by highlighting all the Debs and “the first time” that brought us together: our debut novels.

Following the theme of firsts, I’m starting with Jessica Verday, who acted as publisher for this anthology. I can’t imagine the anthology coming together as it did without her efforts–she coordinated the cover art, the editing, did all the behind the scenes work at Amazon and Barnes and Noble (no easy task, that). If anyone deserves to go first, she does.

Not only that, but she’s a New York Times bestselling author.

Jessica’s Firsts:

Anthology story: Once Burned, Twice Shy.

First line:

The worst thing about boys that you rescue are the excuses.

2009 Debut: The Hollow (Book 1 in the Hollow Trilogy)

Most recent: The Hidden (Book 3 of the Hollow Trilogy)

More about Jessica: Catch up with Jessica on her blog.

Remember, The First Time is available for Kindle and Nook.

The First Time now available!

The First Time, the e-anthology from 25 of the 2009 Debs is out and available for download for Nook and Kindle.

You never forget your first…

In THE FIRST TIME, 25 young adult authors contribute 25 stories all about firsts: first loves, first kisses, first zombie slayings, and more.

Featuring New York Times bestselling authors Carrie Ryan and Jessica Verday, plus a host of others. From humor to horror, and everything in between, these stories will make you laugh, cry, cheer, (and maybe even scream) as you experience something brand new from the authors that you love.

Contributing authors: Cyn Balog, Lauren Bjorkman, Leigh Brescia, Jennifer Brown, Kirstin Cronn-Mills, Janet Gurtler, Teri Hall, Cheryl Renee Herbsman, Stacey Jay, Heidi R. Kling, C. Lee McKenzie, Saundra Mitchell, Jenny Moss, Jackson Pearce, Shani Petroff, Carrie Ryan, Sydney Salter, Kurtis Scaletta, Jon Skovron, Kristina Springer, Rhonda Stapleton, Charity Tahmaseb, Jessica Verday, J. A. Yang, and Lara Zielin

The First Time is available for Kindle and Nook. Don’t have a Kindle or a Nook? Don’t let that stop you. You can download Kindle apps (for your PC, your phone, etc.) and Nook apps as well.

Title and cover reveal: The First Time, the 2009 Debs anthology

It’s here! Isn’t it gorgeous?

The release date is scheduled for October of this year. My story is (tentatively) titled The Trouble With Firsts. It’s about first dates, prom, and humiliation. Not necessarily in that order.

I’m so very excited about this anthology and so in love with this cover, I think I want to go steady with it.

Secret project revealed!

Pretty excited about this! Here’s the press release for the 2009 Debutantes e-anthology:

New York Times bestselling author Jessica Verday announces an e-anthology featuring 25 authors from the writers group 2009 Debutantes

The bestselling author of THE HOLLOW Trilogy, Jessica Verday, has gathered 24 other authors for a kind of Young Adult sampler featuring a theme of “Firsts.” The eBook will be published by Verday herself and she will be co-editing with Rhonda Stapleton author of the STUPID CUPID series.

This eBook will give readers a chance to sample the stories of 25 different authors exploring what it’s like to experience something for the first time. From first kiss to first love, there’s no time like the first time.

“This is an innovative way for authors to reach out to readers in a single book that anyone can afford. Readers get the chance to find a new story from some of their favorite authors, and while they’re at it, be introduced to other authors they may not have been able to get to know yet,” says Verday.

The e-anthology will be available on Amazon Kindle and Smashwords. The tentative release date is October 4, 2011.

Contributing authors are: Jessica Verday, Carrie Ryan, Rhonda Stapleton, Cyn Balog, Lauren Bjorkman, Leigh Brescia, Teri Hall, Stacey Jay, C. Lee McKenzie, Janet Gurtler, Jenny Moss, Jackson Pearce, Kristina Springer, Charity Tahmaseb, Jon Skovron, Heidi Kling, Saundra Mitchell, Cheryl Renee Herbsman, Kirstin Cronn-Mills, Lara Zielin, Shani Petroff, Kurtis Scaletta, J.A. Yang, Jennifer Brown, and Sydney Salter.

Cover to be revealed May 2011.

You can read a bit more over at Jessica’s blog.

You know what this means, of course. I am writing under contract. So, I guess I better get busy and do just that.

More updates to come, I’m sure.

Words of encouragement

I hope to post a recap of the MEMO conference in the next few days. Short review: It was fun! I had a blast and sold some books.

Here’s the note Kyra wrote to me before I left:

From: Kyra
To: Mom

Make sure to not tuck in your shirt and don’t forget to look your best. I hope you have a good time there. Love, Kyra and don’t forgot again to love and miss me. I will love and miss you too. Love, Kyra and I will love you back and do not and I mean do not forget about me.

I failed on one account. Sadly, I did tuck in my shirt.