Alex Marestaing's Blog, page 6
May 25, 2014
I’m Nobody: The Lost Pages Goes On Tour
Fifty websites in fourteen days. I’m Nobody: The Lost Pages is going on tour, a blog tour that is. Every day for the next two weeks, you’ll be able to check out interviews, learn more about your favorite characters, and read what readers from all over are saying about the YA novel that critics are calling “fresh,” “beautiful” and “easy to lose yourself in.” Here are the dates and websites:
5/26/2014
Carol | The Lady Prefers To Save
http://theladyprefers2save.com
Kim | Window To My World
Sarah | Growing for Christ
http://growingforchrist.wordpress.com
Mark | Thoughts of a Sojourner
http://thoughtsofasojourner.blogspot.com
Betsy | Glamamamas Goodies
http://www.glamamamasgoodies.blogspot.com
Cassandra | Cassandra M’s Place
http://www.cassandramsplace.com
Sally | Book Reviews
http://sallyshupe.blogspot.com/
Erin | For Him and My Family
http://www.forhimandmyfamily.com
5/27/2014
Victoria | deal sharing aunt
http://www.dealsharingaunt.blogspot.com
Joan | Book Reviews from an Avid Reader
Http://bookwomanjoan.blogspot.com
5/28/2014
Becky | Christian Chick’s Thoughts
http://christianchicksthoughts.blogspot.com
Revka | Our Family Porch
5/29/2014
Leticia | My Daily Trek
http://leticiasworld.blogspot.com
Kristie | Moments
http://kristie-moments.blogspot.com
5/30/2014
Jalynn | A Simple Life, really?!
http://asimplelifereally.blogspot.com
Donna | Books and such
http://bookworm56.blogspot.com
Susan | let’s eat 2 day
http://letseat2day.blogspot.com
5/31/2014
Joy | Splashes of Joy
Amanda | Semel insanivimus omnes
http://princess-mia.livejournal.com
LuAnn | Back Porchervations
http://www.backporchervations.blogspot.com
6/1/2014
Angela | A Busy Mom of Two
Patricia | THE Academy
Jennifer | Jen’s Journey
Melanie | The Ramblings of Two Readers
http://ramblingsof2readers.blogspot.com
Erika | Serenity Reviews
http://www.serenityreviews.com
6/2/2014
Ginger | My Mis-Matched World
Debra | 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, &, Sissy, Too!
http://3partnersinshopping.blogspot.com
6/3/2014
Nancy | sunny island breezes
Lois | The Minister’s Wife Stamps and Saves
http://theministerswifestampsandsaves.blogspot.com
6/4/2014
Edythe | Ski-Wee’s Book Corner
http://skiweesbooks.blogspot.com
JoJo | JoJo’s Corner
http://www.jojosutiscorner.wordpress.com
6/5/2014
Michelle | I Hope You Dance
http://ihopeyoudanceinlife.com
Margaret | Frugal-Shopping
Http://www.frugal-shopping.com
Veronica | Veronica’s ’Views
http://shopgirl152ny.blogspot.com
Elle | Elle in Organic Shoes
http://Www.organicshoes.wordpress.com
6/6/2014
Billy | Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer
http://www.coffeeaddictedwriter.com
Dianna | Savings in Seconds
Rebekah | Backing Books
http://backingbooks.blogspot.com
Annette | A Well-Watered Garden
http://awell-wateredgarden.blogspot.com
Jennifer | WordSmith
6/7/2014
Margaret | The World As I See It
http://theworldasiseeitbloganddesigns.com
Andi | Radiant Light
6/8/2014
Julie | More Of Him
Nancy | Bookfoolery
http://bookfoolery.blogspot.com
Liz | Western New Yorker
http://funcraftysavymom.blogspot.com
6/9/2014
Ramona | Create With Joy
Amanda | The Talbert Report
http://thetalbertreport.blogspot.com
6/10/2014
Bethany | Perfect Beginnings
http://theperfectbeginnings.blogspot.com
Deb | Deb’s Book Review
http://debs-bookreview.blogspot.com
Brittanie | A Book Lover
http://www.abookloverforever.blogspot.com
Click on the picture to buy Im Nobody: The Lost Pages today
May 18, 2014
Time for a Good Book…or Not
I was thinking of reviewing it…but that would mean having to read it. So, I guess I’ll just post a picture. 
*Picture from Clean Funny Pics on Facebook
May 13, 2014
In Case You Haven’t Heard: Ferals is the Next Big Thing…Before It Even Has An Author
fe·ral
ˈfi(ə)rəl,ˈferəl/
adjective
In a wild state, especially after escape from captivity or domestication (pertains to an animal)
Raised by crows since the age of five, a thirteen-year-old named Caw is about to acquire his power as a Feral. Ferals are a unique group with the ability to “connect with and talk to animals.” What he’s about to realize though is that not all of his kind can be trusted.
Ferals is an upcoming book series purchased by Harper Collins in the UK and U.S.. The book series raised eyebrows in the publishing world when multiple publishers clawed over each other for the rights at the Frankfurt Book Festival last October. Within a week of releasing the proposal, companies all over the world clamored for a piece of the series and movie rights were optioned by Fox. The funny thing is….at the time of purchase there was no author. *
See, the series is an idea pitched by UK company Working Partners which is a book packager. What they’ll do is gather a team of writers, add a pseudonym for the author, and “BAM” you have a hit series.
Hmmm, a book is the next “big thing” before it even has an author. Are changes under way in the publishing world?
Buy Alex Marestaing’s EPIC Award Finalist I’m Nobody: The Lost Pages
*Info from Publisher’s Weekly October 10, 2013
May 6, 2014
In Case You Haven’t Heard: YA Market Trends from Publisher’s Weekly
Hi All,
I hope all you writers, and readers, and friends are having an amazing week so far. If you’ve been to one of my YA workshops, you’ve heard me talk about current trends in the middle grade and YA markets. Though being creatively unique is key, writing for the market is utterly important as well. Here’s a really helpful overview of sales trends put out by Publishers Weekly (just click on the picture below).
Happy Writing!
Alex
April 29, 2014
Books of the Year
Flora and Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo is this years Newberry Medal winner. The book tells the tale of a cynical girl, Flora, who meets a superhero squirrel. Check out a slide show of this year’s top award winners by clicking on the CNN logo below. And, of course, you can check out my latest YA/middle grade novel I’m Nobody: The Lost Pages by clicking on the book cover. Have a happy, hopeful day.
April 18, 2014
In Case You Haven’t Heard: New Pixar Film Update
After skipping out on the 2014 animation season, Pixar comes roaring back in the summer of 2015 with Inside Out, a journey into an eleven-year- old’s brain. This month, Pixar released a plot summary on their website:
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“From the tepuis of South America to a monster-filled metropolis, Academy Award®-winning director Pete Docter has taken audiences to unique and imaginative places. In 2015, he will take us to the most extraordinary location of all – inside the mind of an 11-year-old named Riley.
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Growing up can be a bumpy road, and it’s no exception for Riley, who is uprooted from her Midwest life when her father starts a new job in San Francisco. Like all of us, Riley is guided by her emotions – Joy (Amy Poehler), Fear (Bill Hader), Anger (Lewis Black), Disgust (Mindy Kaling) and Sadness (Phyllis Smith). The emotions live in Headquarters, the control center inside Riley’s mind, where they help advise her through everyday life. As Riley and her emotions struggle to adjust to a new life in San Francisco, turmoil ensues in Headquarters. Although Joy, Riley’s main and most important emotion, tries to keep things positive, the emotions conflict on how best to navigate a new city, house and school.”
*Info from pixarplanet.com
April 15, 2014
In Case You Haven’t Heard: Mockingjay Trailer
In case you haven’t seen it yet, here’s the trailer for Mockingjay, Part One. The plotline features Katniss Everdeen as the reluctant leader of a rebellion against the Capitol. Filming for the third installment of the Hunger Games trilogy is now in the post production stage with a scheduled release date of November 21, 2014.
In other news, I’m Nobody: The Lost Pages has signed with Litfuse Publicity and will be featured on a fifty stop blog tour at the end of May. Stay tuned for more details on the tour as well as exciting new book giveaways.
Synopsis: Agoraphobic Caleb Reed is about to step outside for the first time in seven years, meet indie filmmaker Iris Elliott…and definitely not fall in love. Oh yeah, and then there’s these notes he keeps getting, from dead poet Emily Dickinson. Read the novel that critics are saying is “Fresh” and “Unlike anything” they’ve read. Get your copy of London Book Festival Honorable Mention winner I’m Nobody: The Lost Pages, by clicking the picture below.
Check out I’m Nobody: The Lost Pages. On sale now.
April 2, 2014
Writers: You Have to Try This
Reality is a lovely place, but I wouldn’t want to live there – Adam Young
This summer, a new themed area is coming to the Disneyland Paris Resort. What setting has captured the minds of Disney’s always creative Imagineers this time? Well, Paris of course.
It may seem strange, Disneyland Paris opening a themed area that depicts Paris. That would be like Disneyland in Anaheim creating a themed area called Anaheim, or Disney World opening a new area called Orlando land. But Disney knows what it’s doing. See, the Paris they create, based on the Pixar film Ratatoulle, will be way more wondrous than Paris, with more sensory experiences. The music will be more romantic, the sidewalks cleaner, the cafes more quaint. See, Paris, the real one, isn’t the same as the one you’ve seen in movies or read about in books. That Paris doesn’t exist. Oh, I love Paris. It’s one of my favorite cities, but that’s just it, it’s a city, a modern metropolis full of the pitfalls of city life – traffic, crime, graffiti. But Disney, well, they’ll make their little piece of Paris more “wondrous”, more romantic, more dream-like.
So writers, take note. Don’t just write about the way places are in the real world. Instead, take a tip from Disney and take a real world place and make it kinder, sweeter, warmer, and overall more wondrous. Up the volume on your imagery, and increase the fantasy of reality, then, your readers can escape and get lost in your books…and that’s what they want.
February 19, 2014
Interview and Giveaway With YA Author Evan Angler
This week on Tuesday Talks, I visit with enigmatic YA author Evan Angler, creator of the Swipe Series. Click on the link below to join us.
Click Here For Tuesday Talks
January 15, 2014
I’m Nobody: The Lost Pages Releases Worldwide
EPIC 2014 YA book of the year nominee I’m Nobody: The Lost Pages releases internationally today. The novel, which recently received an honorable mention from the London Book Festival, will now be available for purchase worldwide. Combining the mystery of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children and the emotional impact of novels such as Wonder, Marestaing’s story of an agoraphobic teen who begins to receive strange notes from long dead poet Emily Dickinson is a must read for 2014.
Ask your local bookstore for the novel that reviewers are saying is ”absolutely amazing!”, “powerful” and “unlike anything I’ve read.” I’m Nobody: The Lost Pages is an eerily thrilling tale of hope over fear, and one that will leave readers wondering, “How long has it been since I’ve believed in magic?”
…or at bookstores everywhere.
