Elizabeth Fama's Blog, page 2
April 2, 2014
PLUS ONE Blog Tour: 3rd Stop!
It's Day Three of my blog tour, and you can find me over at Ivy Book Bindings, talking about romance, love, and sex. The post was sparked by a conversation between Keertana and me, which I learned so much from.
Keertana is also hosting a giveaway of a finished copy of Plus One!
So tell the conductor this is your stop, and go forth to read it!
Keertana is also hosting a giveaway of a finished copy of Plus One!
So tell the conductor this is your stop, and go forth to read it!
April 1, 2014
PLUS ONE Blog Tour: 2nd Stop!
Today I'm talking with Jen over at The Starry-Eyed Revue! It's a long conversation...because apparently we both like to gab! I love that some of the more serious aspects of the book came out in our talk...many early readers have taken Plus One quite literally, as an action-romance-thriller (which it also is), but I'm always glad to talk about deeper meanings.
There's a giveaway, so head on over! Click here!
(Also, note how in-sync Jen's banner is with the cover of my book. She and I were meant to be...)
There's a giveaway, so head on over! Click here!
(Also, note how in-sync Jen's banner is with the cover of my book. She and I were meant to be...)
March 31, 2014
PLUS ONE Blog Tour: All Aboard!
The release date of Plus One is only eight days away. To help celebrate, the lovely Coranne and Sarah of The Best Books Ever have organized a blog tour for me, and it begins today!
The first stop is with Jaime and Erin at Fiction Fare. Jaime reviews Plus One, and in a follow-up guest post I talk about my writing heroes. You didn't think I'd start a tour and not mention Megan Whalen Turner with my first breath, did you?
There's also a giveaway of a finished copy of Plus One. Click here to hop on board the blog train!
The first stop is with Jaime and Erin at Fiction Fare. Jaime reviews Plus One, and in a follow-up guest post I talk about my writing heroes. You didn't think I'd start a tour and not mention Megan Whalen Turner with my first breath, did you?
There's also a giveaway of a finished copy of Plus One. Click here to hop on board the blog train!
March 28, 2014
Where Am I in April?
April 8 (Tuesday), 7 PM:
Book launch for Plus One at Anderson's Bookshop in Downers Grove.
Anderson's Bookshop
5112 Main Street
Downers Grove IL
http://www.andersonsbookshop.com/events
"In a teen romance like no other, a day dweller and a night dweller meet. In the vivid alternate world of Plus One, the young lovers must balance a dangerous and stark divide. Meet the Chicago area author Elizabeth Fama at Anderson’s."
April 12 (Saturday) 2 PM:
YA panel with Kat Falls (Inhuman), Joelle Charbonneau (The Testing), and Demetria Lunetta (In the After), and me.
"Testing Dark Waters: Stories of Unhappily Ever Afters"
The Book Stall at Chestnut Court
811 Elm Street
Winnetka IL
"YA writers of dark fantasy take us on adventures that are beyond our imagination but closer to real life than we might want to think. At this event, learn where they get their ideas, what it is like to a published author, and behind the scenes details of these novels. Copies of their books will be available for purchase at the event, and there will be a opportunity to ask questions and have books signed."
April 18 (Friday) 6:30 - 8 PM:
SCBWI Hyde Park/South Side event
YA Festival with Christa Desir (Fault Line), Kristina Springer (The Espressologist), and Philip Siegel (The Break-Up Artist) and me.
57th Street Books
1301 East 57th Street
Chicago IL
"A powerhouse panel discussion with award-winning YA authors, who will share the perils and joys of writing for an older audience, the hot hot hot YA market, the job of selling their books, and the pressure to write that sequel."
April 26 (Saturday) 9 AM - 3 PM:
Southern Kentucky Book Fest
The Knicely Conference Center
654 Campbell Lane
Bowling Green KY
1 PM panel (speaker): "First Books By YA Authors"
2 PM panel (moderator): "Science Fiction: YA and Adult"
For a complete list of authors attending SOKY Book Fest, click here.
Book launch for Plus One at Anderson's Bookshop in Downers Grove.
Anderson's Bookshop
5112 Main Street
Downers Grove IL
http://www.andersonsbookshop.com/events
"In a teen romance like no other, a day dweller and a night dweller meet. In the vivid alternate world of Plus One, the young lovers must balance a dangerous and stark divide. Meet the Chicago area author Elizabeth Fama at Anderson’s."
April 12 (Saturday) 2 PM:
YA panel with Kat Falls (Inhuman), Joelle Charbonneau (The Testing), and Demetria Lunetta (In the After), and me.
"Testing Dark Waters: Stories of Unhappily Ever Afters"
The Book Stall at Chestnut Court
811 Elm Street
Winnetka IL
"YA writers of dark fantasy take us on adventures that are beyond our imagination but closer to real life than we might want to think. At this event, learn where they get their ideas, what it is like to a published author, and behind the scenes details of these novels. Copies of their books will be available for purchase at the event, and there will be a opportunity to ask questions and have books signed."
April 18 (Friday) 6:30 - 8 PM:
SCBWI Hyde Park/South Side event
YA Festival with Christa Desir (Fault Line), Kristina Springer (The Espressologist), and Philip Siegel (The Break-Up Artist) and me.
57th Street Books
1301 East 57th Street
Chicago IL
"A powerhouse panel discussion with award-winning YA authors, who will share the perils and joys of writing for an older audience, the hot hot hot YA market, the job of selling their books, and the pressure to write that sequel."
April 26 (Saturday) 9 AM - 3 PM:
Southern Kentucky Book Fest
The Knicely Conference Center
654 Campbell Lane
Bowling Green KY
1 PM panel (speaker): "First Books By YA Authors"
2 PM panel (moderator): "Science Fiction: YA and Adult"
For a complete list of authors attending SOKY Book Fest, click here.
March 26, 2014
E-Book Settlement Refund Giveaway
My parent publisher, Macmillan, fought long and hard against the Department of Justice e-book price-fixing lawsuit. In fact, John Sargent, the CEO of Macmillan, wrote an impassioned open letter on Tor.com explaining the company's position. You can read that letter here. Eventually, the battle became too costly, and Macmillan agreed to settle.
Yesterday I got my class-action settlement refund from Amazon. And in honor of Macmillan, Mr. Sargent, and my imprint, Farrar, Straus and Giroux Books for Young Readers, I'm going to use the money to buy one of Macmillan's books for a lucky winner...my book, to be precise.
Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway below to win a paperback copy of Monstrous Beauty, which not only has a beautiful cover, but also has a ton of cool bonus material, including "naturalist" endpapers sketched by my daughter.
The fine print:
1. The lottery runs Wednesday, March 26 through Wednesday, April 2.
2. Please tweet from real (that is, personal or professional) accounts. Can we be honest with each other? I'm only asking for one danged tweet a day, so using a fake Twitter account in this case is extremely lame.
3. To keep the cost of the prize within my settlement dollars, this giveaway is open to U.S. and Canada addresses only. I'm sorry! I really do love all my international readers!
4. Shipment will be directly from Amazon.com, so that means it won't be a signed copy, unless you lug the book to one of my author appearances someday, in which case you'll also get a giant hug from me. Also, unfortunately, there won't be any swag included because of this shipment method. Boo.
5. Sit on your hands if you already have a copy of MB, k? Seriously, give someone else a chance.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Yesterday I got my class-action settlement refund from Amazon. And in honor of Macmillan, Mr. Sargent, and my imprint, Farrar, Straus and Giroux Books for Young Readers, I'm going to use the money to buy one of Macmillan's books for a lucky winner...my book, to be precise.
Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway below to win a paperback copy of Monstrous Beauty, which not only has a beautiful cover, but also has a ton of cool bonus material, including "naturalist" endpapers sketched by my daughter.
The fine print:
1. The lottery runs Wednesday, March 26 through Wednesday, April 2.
2. Please tweet from real (that is, personal or professional) accounts. Can we be honest with each other? I'm only asking for one danged tweet a day, so using a fake Twitter account in this case is extremely lame.
3. To keep the cost of the prize within my settlement dollars, this giveaway is open to U.S. and Canada addresses only. I'm sorry! I really do love all my international readers!
4. Shipment will be directly from Amazon.com, so that means it won't be a signed copy, unless you lug the book to one of my author appearances someday, in which case you'll also get a giant hug from me. Also, unfortunately, there won't be any swag included because of this shipment method. Boo.
5. Sit on your hands if you already have a copy of MB, k? Seriously, give someone else a chance.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
March 23, 2014
No More Hitting
There's a scene the Season 3 finale of Sherlock (please note: I love Sherlock) where Molly slaps Sherlock. She does it three times. She does it because she's upset that he's wasting the precious gift of his mind on drugs.
In Reality Boy, by A.S. King (please note: I love Amy's work), Gerald's girlfriend, Hannah, punches him in the shoulder "playfully," although in fact she's also slightly annoyed. He asks her not to do it and she makes light of his request, saying it was just a joke. He agrees that it's a funny joke for most people (a notion that I'm challenging, see below), but explains that he has suffered abuse from his sister, and being punched reminds him of that. I wish Gerald hadn't qualified that he was unusual or different in not finding this funny, so that Hannah (and readers) would learn the general case, rather than the specific.
In a popular YA fantasy series (which I adore in every other way) the female heroine hauls off and punches a male character when she finds out that he has been disguising himself—hiding his real name and title; i.e. lying about who he is.
Three cases of people hitting people, in ways that are meant to be amusing, in a trope that's so entrenched we hardly notice it anymore. And specifically, three cases of women hitting men, and not in self-defense. Is this funny? Is this appropriate? As authors, readers, and consumers, should we be encouraging this trope?
In most cases, the trope "works" because the heroine is "spunky," and the recipient of her blows is "a gentleman" (even if he's the scraggly kind), meaning he won't fight back. In many cases, the implicit message is that the (usually) male character is a "rascal" and he somehow "deserves" it. In addition to being a gentleman, this is often why he accepts the blow—in his heart he knows he deserves it. But if we examine this on a deeper layer, do we want to promote the notion that a woman can smack a man if he disappointed her in some way? Aren't we shoring up an outdated, fundamentally sexist stereotype when we portray a woman hitting a man with impunity because he's "honorable" enough to take it?
What is the correct way to convey the message "You're wasting your talent?" Is it slapping, and expecting no retaliation? How do we say, "You're irritating the crap out of me" or, "You lied to me"? I move that we do it in words, not blows, and put an end to this emotionally damaging movie- and book-trope. It's never amusing to touch someone when they don't want to be touched. It's never funny to hit someone, knowing they won't hit back. It's abuse, pure and simple. It's a perversion of the honor code that "men shouldn't hit women," which should really be an honor code that no one should hit anyone.
February 20, 2014
The Cover for NOMA GIRL (a Tor.com original story)
February 17, 2014
Publishers Weekly Review of PLUS ONE
The first professional-journal review of Plus One is finally here!
This is from the February 17, 2014 issue of Publishers Weekly:
"Fama smoothly unspools the details of her alternate Earth's history in conversational flashbacks that never impede the brisk pacing, yet enhance the sense of connection with her very human characters."
Phew!
This is from the February 17, 2014 issue of Publishers Weekly:
"Fama smoothly unspools the details of her alternate Earth's history in conversational flashbacks that never impede the brisk pacing, yet enhance the sense of connection with her very human characters."
Phew!
January 30, 2014
A Cover for PLUS ONE
Holy smokes, was this ever worth the wait! Here's the beautiful cover of Plus One.
My dear friends Amanda and Sarah of "The Best Books Ever" unveiled the image yesterday. They're hosting a giveaway of two advance-reader copies of the book, so scoot on over there!
My deepest thanks to the design team at FSG/Macmillan, for giving me a cover that already feels iconic.
My dear friends Amanda and Sarah of "The Best Books Ever" unveiled the image yesterday. They're hosting a giveaway of two advance-reader copies of the book, so scoot on over there!
My deepest thanks to the design team at FSG/Macmillan, for giving me a cover that already feels iconic.
January 20, 2014
MARISSA MEYER HAS BLURBED PLUS ONE!
I'm still pinching myself!
Marissa Meyer is the brilliant, prolific, and wildly adored author of the Lunar Chronicles ( Cinder ; Scarlet ; Cress [coming Feb. 4th]; and Winter [aptly arriving winter, 2015]) and of the forthcoming Heartless (Fall, 2015). And perhaps more importantly, she's also a careful, devoted reader (she read sixty-one books last year).
But without further ado, here is Marissa's blurb in its entirety!
"PLUS ONE enthralled me from the first sentence as gutsy, quick-witted Sol Le Coeur launched herself into an adventure filled with political intrigue, family dramas, and a romance that gives a whole new meaning to "star-crossed." The finale left me in the best sort of book daze. This book spares no emotion, and Sol's story will linger long after the last page is turned."
Having a blurb like this from Marissa is already heart-fluttering, but how it came about means even more to me. Of her own accord, Marissa asked my publisher for an advance-reader copy of Plus One, and after she read it she took it upon herself to offer the blurb to them. She volunteered this. Because the book moved her. *faints*
I can't tell you how much that means to me.
Thank you, thank you, Marissa. I will find a way to express my astonished gratitude to you somehow, even if it takes all the chocolate in the world.
P.S. Cover news will be coming soon!
Marissa Meyer is the brilliant, prolific, and wildly adored author of the Lunar Chronicles ( Cinder ; Scarlet ; Cress [coming Feb. 4th]; and Winter [aptly arriving winter, 2015]) and of the forthcoming Heartless (Fall, 2015). And perhaps more importantly, she's also a careful, devoted reader (she read sixty-one books last year).
But without further ado, here is Marissa's blurb in its entirety!
"PLUS ONE enthralled me from the first sentence as gutsy, quick-witted Sol Le Coeur launched herself into an adventure filled with political intrigue, family dramas, and a romance that gives a whole new meaning to "star-crossed." The finale left me in the best sort of book daze. This book spares no emotion, and Sol's story will linger long after the last page is turned."
Having a blurb like this from Marissa is already heart-fluttering, but how it came about means even more to me. Of her own accord, Marissa asked my publisher for an advance-reader copy of Plus One, and after she read it she took it upon herself to offer the blurb to them. She volunteered this. Because the book moved her. *faints*
I can't tell you how much that means to me.
Thank you, thank you, Marissa. I will find a way to express my astonished gratitude to you somehow, even if it takes all the chocolate in the world.
P.S. Cover news will be coming soon!
