Alisha Sevigny's Blog, page 2
November 20, 2020
THE LOST SCROLL OF THE PHYSICIAN is a CCBC Best Books for Kids and Teens pick for 2020!
I am so thrilled to share that the illustrious CCBC has picked THE LOST SCROLL OF THE PHYSICIAN (Secrets of the Sands, Book 1) as a Best Book for Kids and Teens in 2020! Releasing two books during a pandemic has been challenging to say the least, so this comes as a very nice pick-me-up!
Sending a big thank-you out to the CCBC, my publisher, Dundurn Press, and everyone who has contributed to the book.
Order your copy of The Lost Scroll of the Physician and The Desert Prince from booksellers, or into your local library today!
The post THE LOST SCROLL OF THE PHYSICIAN is a CCBC Best Books for Kids and Teens pick for 2020! first appeared on Alisha Sevigny.
September 23, 2020
Launch Week Media Madness!
This week has been very exciting! The second book in SECRETS OF THE SANDS is officially out in the world and I am so proud of this book baby!
I’ll be chatting about the sequel on a panel with renowned Kidlit author, Kenneth Oppel (HATCH), this Sunday, Sept 27 at 1pm ET at Toronto’s Word on the Street – tune in from anywhere!
→Ten Toronto authors to check out as part of this weekend’s Word on the Street festival
THE DESERT PRINCE was also featured on CBC!
→ “Here are the Canadian middle-grade books coming out this season we can’t wait to read.”
The SECRETS OF THE SANDS series has also been garnering some excellent reviews, so be sure to grab your copy and see what all the buzz is about!
A richly detailed, immersive read. – Kirkus
Thanks to everyone who’s assisted me in this journey. I wouldn’t be here without the continued support of friends, family and of course, you, the reader.
xoxo
Alisha
The post Launch Week Media Madness! first appeared on Alisha Sevigny.
September 19, 2020
Happy Book Birthday to THE DESERT PRINCE!
Today is the day! After schedule disruptions due to Covid, I am so happy to finally share the second installment in THE SECRETS OF THE SANDS series!
THE DESERT PRINCE is an action-packed adventure that will sweep you away to another time and place. I so much hope you enjoy it and thank you for your continued support! Now available anywhere books are sold.
THE DESERT PRINCE is on CBC’s Fall Middle-Grade Books “they can’t wait to read!”
July 15, 2020
THE DESERT PRINCE “A Richly Detailed, Immersive Read.” – Kirkus Reviews
When a book is published an author worries. (Or at least this author does 
April 22, 2020
Reader’s Guide for SUMMER CONSTELLATIONS and KISSING FROGS!
Happy World Book Day! Here are two delightful, discussion-starting, downloadable reader’s guides for Young Adult contemporary novels, KISSING FROGS and SUMMER CONSTELLATIONS. Perfect for teachers, book clubs, or some mother-daughter bonding!
SUMMER CONSTELLATIONS
Summer Constellations – Readers’ Guide / Book Club Discussion Questions
Julia Ducharme is ready for a fresh start. Her little brother has finally recovered from a serious illness, and now she just wants to enjoy peak season at the campground her family owns. Maybe this will be the year her annual summer fling with Dan Schaeffer becomes something more?
But her summer dreams are quickly shattered. First, Dan arrives for vacation with a new girlfriend in tow, and then Julia discovers this may be her last summer in the only home she’s ever known.
Crushing medical bills have brought her single mom to the brink of bankruptcy, and a wealthy developer is sniffing around the campground. He sees what Julia sees: lush woods, a pristine lake, miles of trails for adventure. Unlike Julia, he thinks this is the perfect spot for a casino resort.
Heartbroken and afraid, Julia looks to the stars for some perspective. Taking her telescope down to the dock one night, she has a chance encounter with a guitar-playing boy who offers some helpful advice. Too bad this handsome stranger is the developer’s son, Nick Constantine.
As plans for a resort move forward, Julia is desperate to find a solution that doesn’t mean leaving the lake. Nick, in turn, is desperate to separate himself from his father’s aggressive business tactics. He promises that, together, they can thwart the sale.
But can Julia trust him to conspire against his own father? And could she ever she trust him with her heart?
SUMMER CONSTELLATIONS is a story of lost summers, hidden treasure and love written in the stars. It is also a thoughtful reflection on what it means to love — and leave — one’s childhood home.
CCBC’s Best Books for Kids and Teens
NERFA* Finalist (US/CAN – YA Category)
Ages 12 and up
#eco #conservation #environment #nature #astronomy #healthcare #realestate #development #comingofage
Order from your indie bookstore, Chapters Indigo (Kobo), Amazon (CAN / US), B&N
KISSING FROGS
Kissing Frogs – Readers’ Guide / Book Club Discussion Questions
Popular party girl and high school senior Jessica Stone has a secret: she used to be a nerd — a big one; a goody two-shoes, grade-skipping, all-state spelling bee champ. But she lost the braces, put on some contacts, and applied all her academic genius to studying and imitating the social elite. Now she rules the school from the upper echelon of the high school realm. With her cool new friends and hottest-guy-in-school boyfriend, life’s a beach — and that’s where she’s headed for Spring Break. That is, until her teacher breaks the bad news that she’s failing Biology — and her only chance to make up the grade is to throw away the culminating trip of her hard-earned popularity and join the Conservation Club in Panama to save the Golden Frog.
Unable to let go of her faded college dreams, Jess finds herself in a foreign country with a new social crew, and one handsome face that stands out as a blast from the past, threatening to ruin her queen bee reputation. Travis Henley may have grown up, but he still likes to play childish games and as payment for retrieving Jess’ lost ring from the bottom of a jungle pool, he wants three dates.
While Jess does battle with spiders, snakes, wildfires and smart mean girls, she desperately tries to hang on to the last vestiges of her popular existence like the Golden Frog from its webbed toe. But as she starts to care about something more than tanning and texting – a species on the verge of disappearing forever – she may realize the worth of her inner nerd, and the one frog in particular that could be her prince in disguise.
Set in the lush and tropical El Valle de Anton, this modern fairytale re-imagining of “The Frog Prince” with an environmentalist heartbeat.
Ages 9 and up
#eco #conservation #environment #activism #fairytaleretelling #bullying #worldcultures #nature
Available on Amazon (CAN /US)
Hey Readers! I’m thinking of starting an online YA Book Club! If you’d be interested leave a comment below!
xoxo
Alisha
Readers’ Guide for KISSING FROGS and SUMMER CONSTELLATIONS
Happy Earth Day! Here are two delightful downloadable Readers Guides for Young Adult Eco Romances KISSING FROGS and SUMMER CONSTELLATIONS. Perfect for teachers, book clubs or some mother-daughter bonding!
Kissing Frogs – Readers’ Guide / Book Club Discussion Questions
Popular party girl and high school senior Jessica Stone has a secret: she used to be a nerd — a big one; a goody two-shoes, grade-skipping, all-state spelling bee champ. But she lost the braces, put on some contacts, and applied all her academic genius to studying and imitating the social elite. Now she rules the school from the upper echelon of the high school realm. With her cool new friends and hottest-guy-in-school boyfriend, life’s a beach — and that’s where she’s headed for Spring Break. That is, until her teacher breaks the bad news that she’s failing Biology — and her only chance to make up the grade is to throw away the culminating trip of her hard-earned popularity and join the Conservation Club in Panama to save the Golden Frog.
Unable to let go of her faded college dreams, Jess finds herself in a foreign country with a new social crew, and one handsome face that stands out as a blast from the past, threatening to ruin her queen bee reputation. Travis Henley may have grown up, but he still likes to play childish games and as payment for retrieving Jess’ lost ring from the bottom of a jungle pool, he wants three dates.
While Jess does battle with spiders, snakes, wildfires and smart mean girls, she desperately tries to hang on to the last vestiges of her popular existence like the Golden Frog from its webbed toe. But as she starts to care about something more than tanning and texting – a species on the verge of disappearing forever – she may realize the worth of her inner nerd, and the one frog in particular that could be her prince in disguise.
Set in the lush and tropical El Valle de Anton, this modern fairytale re-imagining of “The Frog Prince” is toe-curling contemporary romance with an environmentalist heartbeat, in the tradition of Stephanie Perkins.
Ages 9 and up
Summer Constellations – Readers’ Guide / Book Club Discussion Questions
Julia Ducharme is ready for a fresh start. Her little brother has finally recovered from a serious illness, and now she just wants to enjoy peak season at the campground her family owns. Maybe this will be the year her annual summer fling with Dan Schaeffer becomes something more?
But her summer dreams are quickly shattered. First, Dan arrives for vacation with a new girlfriend in tow, and then Julia discovers this may be her last summer in the only home she’s ever known.
Crushing medical bills have brought her single mom to the brink of bankruptcy, and a wealthy developer is sniffing around the campground. He sees what Julia sees: lush woods, a pristine lake, miles of trails for adventure. Unlike Julia, he thinks this is the perfect spot for a casino resort.
Heartbroken and afraid, Julia looks to the stars for some perspective. Taking her telescope down to the dock one night, she has a chance encounter with a guitar-playing boy who offers some helpful advice. Too bad this handsome stranger is the developer’s son, Nick Constantine.
As plans for a resort move forward, Julia is desperate to find a solution that doesn’t mean leaving the lake. Nick, in turn, is desperate to separate himself from his father’s aggressive business tactics. He promises that, together, they can thwart the sale.
But can Julia trust him to conspire against his own father? And could she ever she trust him with her heart?
SUMMER CONSTELLATIONS is a story of lost summers, hidden treasure and love written in the stars. It is also a thoughtful reflection on what it means to love — and leave — one’s childhood home.
Ages 12 and up
April 14, 2020
First Chapter Fun – Live Reading of Lost Scroll of the Physician!
How’s everyone doing out there? I hope you’re staying healthy and well! What with the whole pandemic thing, I haven’t posted much in the past few weeks but am trying to be more consistent going forward (operative word being try
February 29, 2020
1-On-1 Meeting & Manuscript Reviews
Are you working on a book? I’d love to work with you! For more information, check out the details below from So You Want to Write!45-minute 1-on-1 meeting with author and former Literary Agent Alisha Sevigny, including a pre-reading of your manuscript & book synopsis
ABOUT THE 1-ON-1 MEETINGS
Who better to review your work than a published author and former literary agent?
Author, editor, and former Literary Agent Alisha Sevigny will meet you 1-on-1 via Skype to give detailed feedback about your manuscript or book proposal. This includes:
45 minutes 1-on-1 with a former literary agent, and twice-published author
A thorough pre-reading of 20 pages (double-spaced) of your writing
A close look at your synopsis or book outline
If you are in Toronto, Canada, and prefer to meet in person, we can arrange a face-to-face meeting (just contact us).
ABOUT ALISHA SEVIGNY
Alisha Sevigny is a former literary agent, current freelance editor and published author of several acclaimed Young Adult (YA) novels, SUMMER CONSTELLATIONS, KISSING FROGS, and the SECRETS OF THE SANDS trilogy, set in Ancient Egypt.
As a former literary agent with The Rights Factory, Alisha has had the pleasure of representing many talented domestic and international clients, including a holistic beauty guru and a renowned environmental activist, as well as several debut fiction authors:
Kristen Ma (Beauty, Pure and Simple)
Emily Hunter (The Next Eco-Warriors)
Susan Glickman (The Tale-Teller, Safe as Houses)
Aya Tsintziras (Pretty Bones)
Karen Wheeler (Tout Allure, Tout Suite)
Exceedingly familiar with the publishing industry, both as a former agent and hybrid writer, Alisha specializes in pitches and developmental edits.
Her editorial client, P.H. Oliver, (THE GYNESAURS) was the only self-published author to be long-listed for 2018’s Stephen Leacock Medal of Humour Award, representing the top 10 funniest books in the country.
Other freelance clients include award-winning musician, Linda Brooks, and her non-fiction collection of essays, songs and photographs, ORCHESTRA IN MY GARDEN.
Alisha is continuously giving workshops on the writing and publishing process and enjoys working with authors of all genres and backgrounds.
WHAT WRITERS ARE SAYING ABOUT ALISHA
“Working with Alisha was wonderful — from pitching to her via email to meeting in person to discuss her evaluation. Alisha made it easy to work together as she is always pleasant and genuinely cares about helping writers. I appreciate that she offered lots of encouragement and specific recommendations to help make my book the best it can be.”
— Marisa B., Toronto
“I really benefited from the clear comments on my manuscript which Alisha provided me. They were concise, very helpful and improved my knowledge of the writing trade. Her comments certainly improved the quality my non-fiction novel.
— James B., Orillia
“Alisha was a great help in reviewing and in helping to refine my pitch for my novel before sending it off to a literary agent.”
— Rhesa S., Toronto
“Alisha combed through my 140,000 word manuscript offering many different strategies that I could employ to bring it down to the recommended maximum word count (under 100,000) for the genre in which it would be classified. Readers have since told me that they were most impressed with the tightness and pace of the book, feeling that every line was worth reading. There is no doubt in my mind that this high praise was due to Alisha’s keen instinct for what a reader wants and needs in order to keep turning the page. Indeed, this, I would say, is the hallmark of Alisha’s own writing. She pointed out plot and character inconsistencies that I had missed, even after much scrutiny and gently curtailed my penchant for overly verbose descriptions. She provides a thorough and discerning voice that will allow you to reconsider and/or validate your work from a fresh and knowledgeable perspective, always keeping the writer’s delicate ego in mind. A pleasure to work with from beginning to end.”
— P.H. Oliver
HOW IT WORKS
Once you purchase your session, we’ll email you within 2 business days to schedule a meeting date and time, and to chat about any specific requirements or requests you have.
We’ll need to receive your manuscript pages and your synopsis 5 days in advance of your meeting so that Alisha has a chance to read them thoroughly.
At the time of your meeting, Alisha will contact you by Skype to dive right in!
You’ll walk away with excellent insight from a professional about how to write, improve, market and sell your book or other work!
February 13, 2020
I Read Canadian Week Kick-Off!
Feb 14-21 is I Read Canadian Week, celebrating literacy and Canadian authors. In this short video I talk about researching and writing my new adventure series, SECRETS OF THE SANDS, which just launched with the first installment THE LOST SCROLL OF THE PHYSICIAN. Check it out, spread the word and support Canadian authors!
Here’s a brief one minute reading from THE LOST SCROLL, which has been described as THE MUMMY meets Indiana Jones!
January 27, 2020
THE LOST SCROLL OF THE PHYSICIAN out in Canada!
THE LOST SCROLL OF THE PHYSICIAN is out in Canada and available wherever books are sold!
Order into your favourite bookstore today! $12.99. Available for pre-order in the US.
Your local indie bookstore is a great option OR you can order it from the following places below. If you would like a personalized and signed copy you can order directly from me for $25 which includes shipping anywhere in Canada and some fun swag!
Amazon (Please note, Amazon is saying “temporarily out of stock” but this is a glitch so go ahead and order anyway!
For personalized orders please message me on FB or email me at alishasevignyATgmail.com.
Thanks so much for your support!
xoxo
Alisha
