Aimee Agresti's Blog, page 6

ILLUMINATE: Hungarian Edition!

Ooooh, check this out: the cover of the Hungarian edition of ILLUMINATE! Soooo mysterious! Love! (And I think MEGBUVOLVE is a pretty fabulous-sounding word, don’t you think?) It’s being published by Egmont, so if you’re in Hungary, keep an eye out for it!

My Latest Must-Read: CANADA By Richard Ford!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My senior year at Northwestern, I was lucky enough to get accepted into a fiction writing class with the incredible Richard Ford and it was nothing short of life-changing. To sit in a classroom every week with just a dozen or so other kids and learn about writing from a literary master? Kind of amazing. And it’s what first got me dreaming of a life spent writing novels.

So, I absolutely had to pop by Politics and Prose last night to catch the Pulitzer Prize-winner reading from his fantastic new novel CANADA. The coming-of-age tale of a 15-year-old son of bank robbers, the book is brilliant (I’ve already started it, of course!) and hearing Richard talk about his writing process brought me back to those college days of studying with him and frantically scribbling down everything he said, committing those wise words to memory in the hopes of unlocking the secret to truly great writing. So inspiring!

My DC Book Signing!

Cupcakes, bookmarks, and prizes, oh my! My first hometown book signing was the best celebration a girl could ask for and I was so incredibly touched to have so many friends, family and fellow Washingtonians pop by to share in the ILLUMINATE fun at the Dupont Circle Books-A-Million!

 

I stamped books with an adorable angel wing stamp, gave out bookmarks and stickers, awarded a lovely angel wing necklace to one lucky reader and served treats from delicious Red Velvet Cupcakery. (Yum!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We took over the store and were there forever nibbling on sweets and chatting about all things literary. (Among the discussion topics: some girltalk about FIFTY SHADES OF GREY!) Here’s me with my childhood pal, Jennie….

Thanks to you all for making my DC signing such a fab party! Let’s do it again for Book Two!

Hello, Richmond!: My First Book Signing!

Greetings from Richmond! The fabulous Kelly of Fountain Bookstore and the lovely Susan, blogger extraordinaire at Wastepaper Prose, were kind enough to invite me to Virginia’s capital for my very first ILLUMINATE signing. Hurrah! So, with my sister Karen as my travel pal, I hopped on the train down from DC for a fun-filled day spent chatting with readers, signing books and roaming Richmond.

The Fountain is fantastic and I’m dying to go back: it’s the kind of perfect, cozy shop you fall in love with instantly and never want to leave. And I’m not just saying that because they had this fun banner outside….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m a big Richmond fan now too: After the signing Karen and I strolled the city streets, grabbed a bite at this adorable little loungey cafe….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

…and we even crashed a wedding. (We didn’t mean to but the gorgeous train station was playing host to a reception and our train was delayed. Cheers to the happy couple!)

On the way home, I turned the train into my office and put Karen to work reading pages of ILLUMINATE’s sequel as fast as I could edit them. (More on that later!)

Thank you to Kelly, Susan and the Richmond readers for making my first signing such a blast!

PS: If you’re in the market for a signed copy of ILLUMINATE, you can order from Fountain here!

The ILLUMINATE Soundtrack!

Looking for the perfect tunes to go along with that copy of ILLUMINATE? Take a peek at my ILLUMINATE soundtrack on iTunes! I’ve gotta admit: I think I may have spent just as much time editing this playlist as I did editing the book. Check it out, hope you enjoy!

“Lights” — Ellie Goulding

“Hell” — Tegan and Sara

“Norway” — Beach House

“Trick Pony” — Charlotte Gainsbourg

“Called Out In The Dark” — Snow Patrol

“Crystalised” — The XX

“All Eyes Are On You Now My Pet” — Paramount Styles

“Innocent” — Taylor Swift

“Just Tonight” — The Pretty Reckless

“This is War” — 30 Seconds to Mars

“The Angel Sings” — Lights Resolve

“Paradise” — Coldplay

Writing, Writing, Writing!

Hi, remember me? Sorry I’ve been a little quiet lately: I’ve been hard at work polishing up the sequel to ILLUMINATE. Yay! (I hope you guys will like it!) But, never fear, I’ll be finished soon and then I’ll be in such a celebratory mood I just might have to start giving stuff away again. Stay tuned!

Mark Your Calendar: Book Signing Dates!

Are you in the DC/Maryland/Virginia area and looking for something fun to do on a Saturday afternoon in April? Come hang out with me! I've started setting up some signings–very excited!–and I'd love to meet you! Here's what's on tap so far, more to come:

SATURDAY, APRIL 14: Fountain Bookstore, Richmond, Virginia

2pm Reading, Q&A, Signing

I'm bringing bookmarks for everyone and some prizes too!

 

SATURDAY, APRIL 21: Books-A-Million, 11 Dupont Circle NW, Washington, DC

1pm Reading, Q&A, Signing

My first hometown event–woo hoo!–so I'm bringing CUPCAKES, bookmarks, and prizes! Did I mention CUPCAKES?!

Stay tuned for more!

Ultimate Swag Bag Giveaway: We Have a Winner!

Wow! First I have to say a huge THANK YOU to all who entered the Ultimate ILLUMINATE Swag Bag Giveaway! I loved all the pics of the book you Tweeted at me–what fun! And your notes with your entries were all so sweet, you guys made my day and, because of that, you're all getting a little consolation prize….

But first, with the help of Random.org, I'm pleased to announce the winner of the Ultimate ILLUMINATE Swag Bag–who will receive a signed finished copy of the book, signed bookmark, ILLUMINATE mock hotel keycard, the soundtrack, an angel wing necklace just like Haven's, and a fabulous ILLUMINATE tote bag to carry it all. Congratulations…

JENELLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Woo hoo!! Congrats, Jenelle!! Yay!!

If you didn't win this time, fear not, I'll be having another contest soon. AND, as an extra thank you to all who entered this giveaway: if you'd like a signed ILLUMINATE bookmark as a consolation prize, just email your address to aimee@aimeeagresti.com and I'll pop one in the mail to you! Thanks, guys, and congrats, Jenelle!

Us Weekly Buzzometer: 5 bees for ILLUMINATE!

Woo hoo! I was so excited to get this week's issue of Us Weekly and find ILLUMINATE in the fabulous Buzzometer section with FIVE bees!! Yay!

The ILLUMINATE Book Trailer Is Here!!!

OMG!! The book trailer for ILLUMINATE has arrived and it's AMAZING! Check it out here!!!