Libba Bray's Blog

Several months ago, Maureen Johnson http://www.maureenjohnsonbooks.com/index1.html lost a bet.
She had to face her fear of flying high on a trapeze.
Then she got swine flu and had to cancel.
But yesterday, Maureen met her fear. And her fear looked her in the eye and said, "Sucks to be you today, Maureen Johnson." Then it cracked its knuckles and said, "Boo-ya!" just for a little extra flavor. I love Maureen's fear. It's funny.

Lest you feel any pity for her, please remember that MJ made me do...

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I love Junot Diaz.

I'd always loved his short stories and then, I fell in love with his novel, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. (Apparently, I wasn't the only one because it won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction last year.) But I really love him for this essay about how freaking HARD writing can be sometimes.

www.oprah.com/article/omagazine/200911-omag-junot-diaz-writing via www.robinwasserman.com/

I am trying to take his words to heart as I struggle through my new WIP which is starting to f...

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This morning in Brooklyn, there is rain. It darkens the cement of the sidewalks and slickens the unswept leaves. It annoys the commuters as they hurry to the subways and buses, caught off-guard by such chilly assault after two days of spring-like warmth. It lays a cotton-thin blanket of fog over the snarling pre-work traffic of the BQE. It shortens the dogs’ walks, their owners tugging gently on the leashes, leading them back home.

Today, while the rain taps against the windows of a...

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www.robinwasserman.com/ Egads. Lately, I feel like I've been shot out of a cannon and am waving my arms wildly in order not to hit the ground. I'm doing a quick round-up and hope to FINALLY post notes from these events next week. (Sorry, Camp Awesomeness 2009. Thanks for your patience.) 

In the past month, I've been to the Ivy Bookshop, Baltimore Book Festival, Anderson's YA Conference, Naperville and Woodstock, IL, Doylestown, PA, the Brooklyn Barnes & Noble, and The Austin Teen Book Festival...

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 And I'm not just talking about David Levithan and me. 

In a few hours, the lovely David Levithan http://www.davidlevithan.com/ and I will be road-tripping down to Doylestown, PA  (please hold back, weather) for a gig tonight at the Doylestown Bookshop @ 7 pm: http://ow.ly/u9Fy

I’m trying to decide if we should stop and buy state spoons or take pictures in front of odd monuments or howl at the moon. Mostly, I think we will sing along to favorite songs and talk about goofy things like if y...

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You all know what an absolute music freak I am, how much I love it and how much I enjoy having you leave me your music suggestions. (I've been introduced to many cool bands by you, by the way.)
So it was a complete joy to be asked to participate in Largehearted Boy's blog.largeheartedboy.com/ wonderful Book Notes series in which authors discuss the playlist for a particular book explaining why the songs were chosen. Really, I can't think of a more pleasurable assignment other than personal as...

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Hey, who likes libraries? 
I see an impressive show of hands. 
Who likes fun authors and neato mosquito books? 
Uh-huh. Another impressive display. Nice.
Well, you are in luck because this is happening tomorrow:

COOL AUTHORS READ @ THE NYPL JEFFERSON MARKET BRANCH 
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7TH     6:00 - 7:30 PM
Moderated by David Levithan. With:

Libba Bray, GOING BOVINE
Sarah Beth Durst, ICE
Melissa Kantor, THE INVISIBLE I 
Shani Petroff, DADDY'S LITTLE ANGEL
Jeff Rivera, FOREVER MY LADY
Courtney Sheinmel, POS...

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Where did September go?
Is September on a Lost Pet-type poster on phone poles across the country? Because I swear I don't remember it happening. This is doubly flummoxing because I meant to put up this invite a week ago. For the month of October (which is possibly my favorite month), I am the Author in Residence at the fabulous ReaderGirlz.com. readergirlz.com/issue.html

I will be answering YOUR questions (but only if you show up because my superpowers don't extend to mind-reading. Yet...

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 There’s so much I wanted to blog about today—I’ve just returned from the Baltimore Book Festival; I was in Chicago doing appearances; it’s Banned Books Week—but I’ve just received the shocking news that my old friend, Kate Duffy, Kensington Romance Editor Extraordinaire and Editorial Director, died rather suddenly on Monday. It seems unreal to me, and I’d like to take a moment to pay tribute to my pal.

Kate Duffy was one of the most bad-ass dames I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing. And s...

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Thanks so much to everyone who came out to the B&N reading last night with Frank Portman and me. It was great to meet you and thanks also for reminding me that "participation" rhymes with "evisceration" for that serial killer musical that would be so fun to write. (You kinda had to be there.) 

I'm heading out on the road tomorrow, first to Baltimore, then on to Chicago. So just wanted to post the info here. Note: There's a new signing in Chicago!

Thursday 9/24 5:00 pm
IVY BOOKSTORE, Baltimore MD...

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