Thursday, May 31, 2012

Screenwriting Winner

Congratulations to Leap Books author, Judith Graves, who just took first place in the 2012 Alberta Screenwriters Initiative for Losing It. Here's what the jury said about her award-winning manuscript:

“Losing It is a refreshing story with a distinctive writing style that avoids the pitfalls and expected patterns of most teen comedies, to be fresh, quirky and unique in story structure, characters and writing style. The characters are memorable are well-developed and the situations manage to be both comic and affecting.”

Graves, who wrote the screenplay under her real name, Tracy Belsher, is now headed to Banff Media Festival in June to pitch her works to TV and movie execs.

Her books with Leap include Under My Skin and Second Skin, in the Skinned series, and a story in the anthology Spirited. You can follow her journey to the festival and find out more about her writing journey on her blog, Flex Your Words.




Saturday, May 12, 2012

Author Panel on Getting Published and a Young Writer's Workshop!

If you're in the Boston area, you can enjoy a Children's Book Week program by several YA authors, including Leap Books author Patrice Lyle. Here's the information:

Four dynamic debut authors will be leading two great events in honor of Children's Book Week! Lynda Mullaly Hunt (One for the Murphys), Sarvenaz Tash (The Mapmaker and the Ghost), AC Gaughen (Scarlet), and Patrice Lyle (Lethally Blonde) will be:
  • 3:00 - 4:00 PM: Hosting a wine and cheese reception and panel for writers looking to get published in children/teen literature! They'll be talking about their writing and publishing experiences and giving a Q&A. This panel will be moderated by young adult writers Kathryn Burak (Emily’s Dress and Other Missing Things) and Gina Rosati (Auracle). 
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  • 4:30 - 5:30 PM: Leading a booktalk and interactive writing workshop for young writers! Hear about each of their books, talk about elements of storytelling, and work together on madlib-style story building exercises!
 Events will be followed by booksignings.

These authors are all members of The Class of 2k12, a group of debut authors who have books releasing in 2012.

Please RSVP to help us plan (though walk-ins are welcome)! Call 781.431.1160 or email kidevents@wellesleybooks.com. Let us know which event you plan to attend.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Lynda Mullaly Hunt is a former teacher and the director of the annual Society of Children’s Book Writers and Publishers Whispering Pines Retreat. Her debut novel, One for the Murphys, is being released from Nancy Paulsen Books in May. For more information, visit the author’s website at: http://lyndamullalyhunt.com/
 
Sarvenaz Tash was born in Tehran, Iran and grew up on Long Island, NY. She received her BFA in Film and Television from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. She has dabbled in all sorts of writing including screenwriting, copywriting, and professional tweeting. The Mapmaker and the Ghost is her debut novel. For more information, visit the author’s website at: http://www.sarvenaztash.com/
 
A. C. Gaughen is a freelance writer and regular blogger who has had several stories published in the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. While attending college in Scotland, AC became enamored of the country's rich history and folklore, inspiring her debut YA novel Scarlet. For more information, visit the author’s website at: http://www.acgaughen.com/
 
Patrice Lyle grew up in Astoria, Oregon, where she often witnessed movies being filmed, which she attributes to her love of storytelling. She has an MA in Writing Popular Fiction and a PhD in Holistic Nutrition. She now divides her time between her two passions in life: Helping people get healthy and writing paranormal novels. Lethally Blonde is her first novel. For more information, visit the author’s website at : http://www.patricebooks.com/
 
ABOUT THE MODERATORS

Kathryn Burak teaches writing at Boston University, and is the author of Writing in the Works and has published numerous poems and short stories. Her latest, Emily’s Dress and Other Missing Things, is a novel for young adults due out in October 2012. For more information, visit her website at: http://www.kathrynburak.com/
 
Gina Rosati is a former secretary, cake decorator, and PTA mom. She’s excited to be officially adding “author” to her list of careers with the publication of her paranormal YA novel, Auracle, due out in August 2012. For more information, visit her website at: http://ginarosati.com/

Location: 
82 Central St
Wellesley,Massachusetts
02482-5714
United States