Lisa McMann's Blog, page 4
July 5, 2015
Island of Legends paperback
Greetings!
The Unwanteds: ISLAND OF LEGENDS comes out in paperback this week (July 7, 2015)! That’s book 4 in the Unwanteds series. Book 5 (Island of Shipwrecks) is available in hardcover, and book 6 (Island of Graves) will be out September 15, 2015. The 7th and final book in the series will be coming your way next spring.
Paperback on sale July 7, 2015
I’ll be on tour this September, hitting the east coast. More details when I have ’em! Stay cool out there and keep reading. Hope you’re having an excellent summer!
April 13, 2015
12 days in Missouri
The Unwanteds won the Mark Twain Readers Award in the state of Missouri for 2013-2014, yay! I’ll be attending the Missouri Association of School Librarians (MASL) conference Apr. 18-21, and I ended up booking several schools, a library, and a festival all around these dates. Most of my events are private (in schools), but I have a couple of appearances open to the public:
April 17, 2015
Children’s Literature Festival — all day!
Pickler Memorial Library
Truman State University
Kirksville, MO
April 22, 2015
Missouri River Regional Library, 7:00pm
214 Adams St
Jefferson City, MO 65101
In addition, I hope to make some impromptu stops at bookstores in the Kansas City, MO, area tomorrow afternoon and Wednesday to sign whatever books they might have in stock, in case you’re looking for autographed copies of anything.
Excited to spend lots of time with students all over the state! Hope to see you.
March 3, 2015
This week: Texas!
���������������������������������������������������������������� Thursday, March 5, at 5pm
Blue Willow Bookshop Discussion/Signing
Houston, TX
Saturday, March 7, 9am-5pm
North Texas Teen Book Festival in Irving, TX.
45+ YA and middle grade authors. All day.��You won’t regret it.
Kittens and Panthers while they last.
Next up: Tucscon Festival of Books, March 15, 2015
University of Arizona Campus
Get Over It
Originally posted on hippodilly circus:
Hippodilly Circus Contributor AS King is one of my favorite authors. ��When I recommend her books to people, which I do often, I say that she is so honest with her characters��� voices that I often read a paragraph and feel like I���ve been punched in the gut. She captures the feelings of adolescence so honestly and without sentimentality that I am yanked right back to my teenage life and emotions. Her books heal my teenage self and let me know that someone else out there understands how I felt and still feel. ��She is also passionate about changing the way we treat teens and wrote this post for Hippodillly Circus for which I am very grateful.��
I get great fan mail. A lot of the time, I get letters from adults. Those who are used to reading YA literature don���t usually give me reasoning for reading it or connecting���
View original 949 more words
February 1, 2015
The Unwanteds: ISLAND OF SHIPWRECKS is in stores this week!
The official release day is Tuesday, Feb. 3, but the book is trickling into bookstores already. I just signed a couple copies in the Pittsburgh airport, in fact.
Visit the official Unwanteds website for cool downloadables, games, a book trailer, a map, and an educator’s guide.
And here’s some fun news–B&N choose Island of Shipwrecks as one of February’s Top Picks for Young Readers, yay!
I’ll be signing a lot of books in the coming weeks. My book tour starts on Tuesday, and I’ll be presenting at schools and bookstores all over Arizona, California, and Texas. Check my APPEARANCES page on my website for the most up to date information, or scroll down.
If you want one of the exclusive, collectible prize packs along with an autographed copy of the book, order by Monday, Feb 2nd (that’s tomorrow!) or come to my launch party on Tuesday, Feb 3, at 6pm. They ship worldwide. Here’s what’s in the prize pack:
It’s PANTHER! (she’s tiny)
A collectible postcard? Bookmark, sticker, and even a Find The Differences poster? WOW!
I know it’s hard to keep a secret, especially when something major happens in a book. But try to keep in mind when you’re posting on the Internet (to me or to others) that friends, acquaintances, or strangers might not have read the book yet.
Thank you!
Here’s my schedule in case you’d rather scroll than click:
February 3, 2015
THE UNWANTEDS: ISLAND OF SHIPWRECKS Launch party and signing 6:00pm
Changing Hands Bookstore Tempe, AZ
February 4, 2015
HICKLEBEES — 3:00pm
1378 Lincoln Ave.
San Jose, CA 95129
(408) 292-8880
February 5, 2015
THE READING BUG — 5:30pm
785 Laurel Street
San Carlos, CA 94070
650-591-0100
February 6, 2015
KEPLER’S BOOKS — 7:00pm
1010 El Camino Real
Menlo Park, CA 94025
(650) 324-4321
February 9, 2015
BARNES & NOBLE Arden Fair — 5:00pm
1725 Arden Way
Sacramento, CA 95815
916-565-0644
February 11, 2015
WARWICKS — 4:00pm
7812 Girard Ave
La Jolla, CA 92037
858-454-0347
February 12, 2015
BARNES & NOBLE Huntington Beach — 6:30pm
7881 Edinger Avenue
Huntington Beach, CA 92647
714-897-8781
February 13, 2015
ONCE UPON A TIME — 7:00pm
2207 Honolulu Ave
Montrose, CA 91020
818-248-9668
February 20, 2015
BARNES & NOBLE Desert Ridge — 7:00pm
21001 N Tatum Blvd
Phoenix, AZ 85050
480-538-8520
March 5, 2015
BLUE WILLOW BOOKSHOP — 5:00pm
14532 Memorial Dr.
Houston, TX 77079
281-497-8675
March 7, 2015
North Texas Teen Book Festival — 9:00am – 5:00pm
Irving Convention Center
500 W. Las Colinas Blvd.
Irving, TX 75039
March 15, 2015
TUCSON FESTIVAL OF BOOKS
University of Arizona campus
Tucson, AZ
10:30-11:00am Signing in the Mostly Books booth
11:30-12:30
What’s Trending in YA Literature
Location: Education Room 333
Panelists: Jenny Han, E. Lockhart, Lisa McMann
Signing area: Signing Area – Children / Teen (following presentation)
Young adult literature is a constantly changing and exciting area of publishing. YA authors will talk about what’s currently trending and their predictions for the next big trends.
1:00-1:30
A Conversation with Lisa McMann
Location: Teen and Author Meeting Place
Signing area: Sales & Signing Area – Central Mall (following presentation)
Interact with authors as they read aloud from their new books and answer questions
2:30-3:30
Creating Portals to Enter Fantasy Worlds
Location: Education Kiva
Panelists: Alice Hoffman, Maureen Johnson, Lisa McMann, Jennifer A. Nielsen
Signing area: Signing Area – Children / Teen (following presentation)
Authors can create all kinds of fantasy worlds and invite readers to suspend reality and enter their fantasy worlds in different ways.
January 12, 2015
TOUR: Arizona, California, and Texas, I’m coming your way.
February 3, 2015
THE UNWANTEDS: ISLAND OF SHIPWRECKS Launch party and signing 6:00pm
Changing Hands Bookstore Tempe, AZ
February 4, 2015
HICKLEBEES — 3:00pm
1378 Lincoln Ave.
San Jose, CA 95129
(408) 292-8880
February 5, 2015
THE READING BUG — 5:30pm
785 Laurel Street
San Carlos, CA 94070
650-591-0100
February 6, 2015
KEPLER’S BOOKS — 7:00pm
1010 El Camino Real
Menlo Park, CA 94025
(650) 324-4321
More Information
February 9, 2015
BARNES & NOBLE Arden Fair — 5:00pm
1725 Arden Way
Sacramento, CA 95815
916-565-0644
More Information
February 11, 2015
WARWICKS — 4:00pm
San Diego
Location TBA
858-454-0347
February 12, 2015
BARNES & NOBLE Huntington Beach — 6:30pm
7881 Edinger Avenue
Huntington Beach, CA 92647
714-897-8781
More Information
February 13, 2015
ONCE UPON A TIME — 7:00pm
2207 Honolulu Ave
Montrose, CA 91020
818-248-9668
More Information
February 20, 2015
BARNES & NOBLE Desert Ridge — 7:00pm
21001 N Tatum Blvd
Phoenix, AZ 85050
480-538-8520
More Information
March 5, 2015
BLUE WILLOW BOOKSHOP — 5:00pm
14532 Memorial Dr.
Houston, TX 77079
281-497-8675
March 7, 2015
North Texas Teen Book Festival — 9:00am – 5:00pm
Irving Convention Center
500 W. Las Colinas Blvd.
Irving, TX 75039
More Information
March 15, 2015
TUCSON FESTIVAL OF BOOKS — 9:30am-5:00pm
University of Arizona campus
Details TBA
January 10, 2015
YOU can get a FREE Unwanteds: Island of Shipwrecks Prize Pack
“How?” you ask. “How, Lisa McMann? And what’s in the prize pack?”
A collectible postcard? Bookmark, sticker, and even a Find The Differences poster? WOW!
“BUT WAIT!” you cry. “LAST YEAR WE GOT A KITTEN!”
I know. I know. It’s okay. Because remember Aaron’s friend Panther from the jungle in book 4? Well, wait’ll you see what I found JUST FOR YOU.
It’s a tiny PANTHER!
To get the prize pack, order THE UNWANTEDS: ISLAND OF SHIPWRECKS from Changing Hands Bookstore by February 2nd or come to the launch party at the store on February 3rd at 6pm and you will automatically get a prize pack. And either way I’ll autograph your book, too!
December 18, 2014
November 23, 2014
Surprise! The Unwanteds Series is back on the New York Times Bestseller list!
What a fun phone call that was on Wednesday afternoon. I was on a writing retreat, hard at work putting the finishing touches on the first draft of The Unwanteds book 6, when my editor Liesa Abrams called me. Now, she and I don’t talk on the phone much. I prefer to communicate by email so I can refer back to things we’ve discussed. So to get a call was surprising.
The NYT bestseller list comes out weekly on Wednesday afternoons around 5pm EST (it’s in the
actual newspaper and online the following Sunday). When I have a brand new book out, I am generally at least slightly aware of Wednesday at 5pm, because a variety of my books have spent some time on the list. So once I’ve spent that first full week touring and working super hard, and the following Wed comes around, I think about it.
But I’ve learned not to think too hard about it. It’s a bit of a mysterious list, and an author’s book sales for the week only matter in comparison to what other books in the same category are selling. So the Unwanteds series could have its best sales week ever, but generally if ten other series’ have sold more in that same week, the Unwanteds won’t make the list. It’s all good.
A book usually sells the most copies in the first few weeks. All pre-orders are counted in that first week’s sales, so that week gives authors the best shot at hitting sales lists. But then the weekly numbers settle down and I don’t expect to think about lists again until the next book in the series comes out. So there are a couple of weeks each year when I’m conscious of Wednesday at 5pm. But the rest of the year I hardly know what month it is, let alone what day of the week. When Liesa called me, it took me a while to process what she was saying. The Unwanteds series was back on the NYT bestsellers series list! I don’t think I’ve ever been more shocked…except maybe the first time I hit the list with WAKE in 2008.
And you know what? The Unwanteds is on that list this week because of you. You’re reading the books. You’re telling your friends. Your friends are reading and telling their friends. Word is spreading, and it’s all thanks to you. THANK YOU!
October 14, 2014
Join me Saturday afternoon at Author-palooza in Columbia, Maryland!
Five authors: Tommy Greenwald, Margaret Peterson Haddix, Trevor Pryce, Cristin Terrill, and me will be hanging out and entertaining you and all of your friends. Get your books signed (they’ll be available for purchase there, and you can bring yours from home). Don’t forget your phone or camera for a photo or five!
Oakland Mills High School Auditorium
October 18, 2014 2-4pm
Free Admission
Author Panel: 2:00pm- 3:00pm
Reader’s Theater: 2:00-3:00pm
Book Sales 3:00-4:00pm
Book Signings 3:00-4:00pm
Meet Young Authors 3:00-4:00pm
Refreshments will be sold
Live Music!
See you there! http://www.author-palooza.com/
