Rajani LaRocca's Blog, page 36
July 17, 2019
ALL THE MAYHEM Tour Part 4: Once Upon a Time!
Our ALL THE MAYHEM tour continued at Once Upon a Time, a wonderful bookstore in gorgeous Montrose, CA! Chris Baron and I joined fellow MG author Henry Lien for a super-fun “Midsummer’s Mania” event with young book lovers and writers!! We had tons of fun doing creative writing exercises, followed by snacks and a book signing! I also got to meet up with fellow Soaring20sPB debut author Colleen Paeff and fellow Pitch Wars alum Ipuna Black!
July 16, 2019
ALL THE MAYHEM Tour Part 3: Public Square Coffee House!
I met up with Chris Baron again in his lovely hometown of La Mesa, CA, where we had an epic ALL THE MAYHEM event at Public Square Coffee House! The cafe was packed to the gills! We were graciously introduced by fellow debut author , talked about our books, and ate scrumptious food! Folks from Barnes & Noble brought plenty of books to buy and sign! What a magical southern California evening!!
June 30, 2019
Children’s Institute!
I had such an incredible few days from June 26-28 at the American Booksellers Association Children’s Institute (Ci7), held in Pittsburgh this year! Thanks to the incredible team at little bee books, I got to meet wonderful booksellers, including my own awesome local stores—The Concord Bookshop, The Silver Unicorn Bookstore, Wellesley Books, and Whitelam Books. I also met so many incredible people from stores across the country, including Red Balloon Bookshop, Once Upon a Time Books, Books Of Wonder, Blue Willow Books, Literati Bookstore, City of Asylum Books, Carmichael’s Kids, Second Star to the Right Books, Quail Ridge Books, RJ Julia Booksellers, Octavia Books, and so many more!!
Independent booksellers are passionate about getting books into the hands of readers, and do so much to support authors. They’re also tons of fun! I’m so honored that MIDSUMMER’S MAYHEM is an Indies Introduce and Summer 2019 Kids’ Indie Next selection!
After a packed book signing on June 27, I read a bit from MIDSUMMER’S MAYHEM at the #IndiesIntroduce Breakfast on June 28, and then answered a delectable question from a Joan Trygg of Red Balloon Bookshop, a lovely bookseller on the Indies Introduce committee! I also got to rub elbows with a few celebrities…it was amazing all around!!
June 12, 2019
Release Day for MIDSUMMER’S MAYHEM!
On June 11, 2019, MIDSUMMER’S MAYHEM officially released to the world! I spent part of the day visiting two of my favorite local independent bookstores, The Silver Unicorn Bookstore and The Concord Bookshop, gazing at my book on the shelves and signing copies:
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I made sure my editor and agent had something sweet with which to celebrate, too:
I met some dear Pitch Wars friends, who all traveled from out of town, for coffee. We even pretended to write!
Then, after a fun Kidlit Drink Night, I officially launched my book into the world at Porter Square Books, helped by wonderful Lynda Mullaly Hunt, who chatted with me and asked me fantastic questions. It was truly one of the best days of my life!
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June 3, 2019
A Dream of a Book Launch and Party!
On June 2, 2019, my writing dream came true! I was privileged to launch MIDSUMMER’S MAYHEM at The Concord Bookshop, the fantastic independent bookstore in my lovely hometown! It was an incredible event, with a packed store was packed full of family and friends from near and far, and we sold out of books! You can see my speech here to get a taste of what it was like. Here are a few of my favorite photos:
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And then, we came home, and we had quite a party with some of our favorite people in the world! “I have had a dream—past the wit of man to say what dream it was.”
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May 31, 2019
Book Expo 2019!
Book Expo 2019 in NYC was a blast! I got to hang out with my editor, publicist, and marketing folks at the Little Bee Books booth.
I visited other publisher’s booths, including the publishers of some of my friends’ books, and my forthcoming picture books!
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I snagged some signed copies of books of new and not-yet-published titles, including Seventh Grade Vs. The Galaxy by Josh Levy, and Mrs. Everything by Jennifer Weiner!
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And then…on Thursday May 30, just wandering the floor of the convention, I was completely unprepared when I came across this:
I was flabbergasted and thrilled! So thrilled I cried, “That’s my book!” and the stranger standing next to me took this photo:
But that really didn’t prepare me for what happened next. After getting a coffee with my agent, we returned to the Little Bee Books booth in preparation for my book signing and came across this:
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It was an enormous line of people queuing up to get signed copies of MY book, MIDSUMMER’S MAYHEM! I signed in a delirious dream, and the giant stack of books quickly disappeared!
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Later that afternoon, I got to sign copies of MIDSUMMER’S MAYHEM at a special signing at the ABA Lounge Happy Hour. It was such a joy to sign books for booksellers from across the country!
And then, I got to meet one of my literary heroes, Madeline Miller, author of CIRCE. She asked me to sign a copy of MIDSUMMER’S MAYHEM for her!
And with that, I made my way home again the next morning after an incredible time in New York!
May 16, 2019
Summer 2019 Kids’ Indie Next!
I’m thrilled that MIDSUMMER’S MAYHEM is on the American Booksellers Association Summer 2019 Kids’ Indie Next List! It’s a huge honor to be supported by wonderful independent bookstores! Paul Swydan from the fantastic Silver Unicorn Bookstore is quoted: “An enchanting treat of a middle grade novel, LaRocca’s debut is baked to perfection. You don’t need to be a Shakespeare fan to enjoy this modern fantasy twist on A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and the third act (so to speak) takes a wonderful, unexpected turn. It’s the perfect book for young bakers and those who love stories about family and friendship.”
I’m particularly thrilled to be appearing at the Silver Unicorn on June 23 (Midsummer’s Eve!) with two wonderful middle grade authors, Susan Tan and Jarrett Lerner. You can find details about this event here. You can find out about all my events here.
May 14, 2019
MIDSUMMER’S MAYHEM Preorder Gifts!
My debut middle grade novel MIDSUMMER’S MAYHEM releases four weeks from today on June 11, 2019! I’m so grateful for your support of me and my book, and I’m thrilled to celebrate preorders by giving away some fun swag!
Preorder
You can preorder MIDSUMMER’S MAYHEM by 11:59 p.m. EST June 10, 2019 at …
My local independent bookstore, The Concord Bookshop. I’ve loved this store for so many years, and I’ll be having my launch there on June 2! Anyone who preorders from them will get a signed copy!
Any independent bookstore. I love indies, and MIDSUMMER’S MAYHEM is an Indies Introduce selection! Find the closest one to you on Indiebound and pick up your copy at the store!
Larger outlets such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or others. For international purchases, books can be ordered and shipped through Book Depository.
Any library. Did you know that you can make a request at your local library to purchase a book? I would be so thrilled to get my book into libraries where even more readers can find it, so if you prefer to make a library request, that also counts in the giveaway.
To receive your gifts, send your full name, mailing address, and proof of your preorder (screenshot or photo of the preorder or library request is fine) to Mayhem.Preorders@gmail.com.
The Gifts!
Everyone who enters (including international orders) will receive:
A signed bookplate
A beautiful bookmark
A sticker or sticker sheet while supplies last
An electronic copy (PDF) of a special MIDSUMMER’S MAYHEM COOKBOOK that contains all the recipes from the book! This will be emailed to you on publication day: June 11, 2019.
In addition to this swag, winners of the following gifts will be chosen randomly (U.S only):
FIVE winners will receive a MIDSUMMER’S MAYHEM pin, pictured below:
ONE lucky winner will receive a CUSTOM PERSONALIZED APRON (child or adult size) for baking up magical treats!
Please Note
A preorder or library purchase request of the hardcover, ebook, or audiobook of MIDSUMMER’S MAYHEM made by 11:59 pm EST June 10, 2019 counts as one (1) entry.
By entering, you are stating that you are 18+ years old and that you authorize me (Rajani LaRocca) to contact you via email to confirm your address for prizes.
For each book preordered, the entrant will be mailed a swag pack that includes: (1) signed book plate and (1) bookmark and (1) sticker or sticker sheet. This giveaway is open to international entries and will continue while supplies last. All who preorder will receive an electronic (PDF) copy of a MIDSUMMER’S MAYHEM cookbook which will be emailed on June 11, 2019.
(5) prize winners (U.S. only) will receive (1) swag pack + (1) MIDSUMMER’S MAYHEM pin
(1) grand prize winner (U.S. only) will receive (1) swag pack + (1) customized apron
May 11, 2019
Indies Introduce!
I’m overjoyed to announce that MIDSUMMER’S MAYHEM is an American Booksellers Association Summer/Fall 2019 Indies Introduce selection! Twice a year, a committee of booksellers across the country read hundreds of titles and choose 10 debut books as Indies Introduce titles. I had a thrilling moment a couple of weeks ago when bookseller Joan Trygg of Red Balloon Bookshop in St. Paul, MN called to tell me that MIDSUMMER’S MAYHEM had been chosen, and all the reasons she loved the book! In addition to being included in a special newsletter to independent bookstores across the country, I will be doing a signing in the ABA Members Lounge at Book Expo on May 30. I’ll also attend the ABA’s ABC Children’s Institute on June 26-28, and will be speaking at an Indies Introduce panel there!
Here are some quotes about MIDSUMMER’S MAYHEM from booksellers on the committee:
“What a fun, delicious read! Mimi bakes scrumptious goodies to express her heart, but is she good enough to win the While Away baking prize and an opportunity to work with her favorite chef? And can she figure out why her family is acting so strangely?”
-Joan Trygg, Red Balloon Bookshop, Minneapolis, MN
“I savored every minute of this romp. I loved Mimi and her drive to be less invisible in her big family full of go-getters. The South Indian foods, well-defined in the glossary, added another layer of flavor to the story. The baking contest, reminiscent of The Great British Baking Show, was full of surprises, and the hints of magic and allusions to A Midsummer Night’s Dream were perfect. The included recipes are the icing on the cake. I can’t wait to make the savory scones for my co-workers.”
-Jen Kraar, City of Asylum Bookstore, Pittsburgh, PA
“I’m hungry for all the treats in this story and for more books from Rajani LaRocca. Mimi is a kind and inquisitive girl that you instinctively root for, and her struggles with failure really resonated with me. This play on Shakespeare with a culinary twist is absolutely delightful and, dare I say it, scrumptious. More, more, more!”
—Sami Thomason, Square Books, Oxford, MS
“Honeysuckle sweet with a pinch of mayhem and a fairy twist! You’ll only want to put this book down in order to eat an entire plate of cookies. Shakespeare and baking — it’s the book combo dreams are made of.”
-Liz Rice, The Book Cellar, Chicago, IL
Read about all the ABA Indies Introduce Summer/Fall 2019 titles here.
I’m humbled and truly grateful for this incredible honor! I love independent bookstores, and I love supporting them! I’ll be visiting my local bookstores The Concord Bookshop, Porter Square Books, and The Silver Unicorn Bookstore in June, and Belmont Books in September. You can also preorder signed books now! I’ll also be visiting stores in other parts of the country! You can find all my upcoming appearances on my Events page.
May 8, 2019
Another Picture Book Announcement!!
I’m overjoyed to announce that Abrams will publish my picture book about the love between mothers and daughters how it endures across distance and time. WHERE THREE OCEANS MEET will be illustrated by the enormously talented Archana Sreenivasan and will publish in 2022! You can read the announcement here.
