Tag: book review

creativity

The Joy of Small Things

Christa Avampato
The Joy of Small Things by Hannah Jane Parkinson. Photo by Christa Avampato.

I bought the book The Joy of Small Things by Hannah Jane Parkinson at Books on the Hill, a magical independent family-run bookstore in St. Albans, Hertfordshire, a perfect London suburb. My friend, Milly, took me there when I visited her because she knew I’d love it. She knows me well. 

The bookstore building was originally constructed in 1600, was once a tearoom and a furniture shop, and has a resident ghost who is a monk traveling from the cathedral in the secret tunnels running below the city where he does the flower arranging. The Books on the Hill family also has a dachshund named Fergus. I asked the bookstore team if I could move in. I think they’re considering it. (Honestly, was I switched at birth, and am I possibly their long-lost daughter?!)

Hannah’s book caught my eye because it’s about joy, my favorite topic, and it has a dachshund on the front who looks exactly like my dear Phineas, who passed away in January at the ripe old age of 14 1/2. Also, Nigella Lawson, who is an absolute queen, recommends it. Obviously, I loved every word. It’s a book of short pieces that Hannah wrote for The Guardian about everyday joys. One of the pieces is about her love for dachshunds. The topics are wonderfully varied from three-minute pop songs to local graffiti to trainers (for my American friends, these are sneakers) to cemeteries and dozens of others. (Again, is Hannah my long-lost family member, too?!) 

I read the book in tiny bits because I didn’t want it to end. Hannah is hilarious and thoughtful, and I’m sure we would be best friends if we knew each other. She’s also British, so the turn of phrase and spelling in this book are a joy for me and take me right back to St. Albans with Milly. 

I’ve long been a journal writer. On August 1st, I started a new practice: a daily spreadsheet (another one of my small joys) where I jot down what brought me joy each day. I set a calendar reminder at 9:30pm each night with the question, “What brought you joy today?” and I fill in the spreadsheet. It’s now part of my bedtime routine, and I love it. It’s become a joy in itself.

creativity

Raffle prizes and giveaways for my book launch party on May 31st

Christa Avampato

I’ve had so much fun spending hours looking for items to include in the raffles and giveaways for my book launch party on Friday, May 31st. Thank you to everyone who gave me suggestions of what to include! I won’t be selling books at my book launch party, though if people have my book(s) I’ll happily sign them. Easiest place to get them is probably Amazon. I’ll also have signed book plates (stylized stickers) to paste into your book(s)

Now look what I found for the raffles and giveaways!

1.) I decided to do two raffle prizes – two bag of goodies that Emerson would love
– Wonderful New York City-themed books with heart – The Truth About Goodbye by Russell Ricard or Dearest New York: A Love Letter to the Big Apple by Deirdre Gartner (a.k.a. @GirlintheyellowtaxiNYC on Instagram!)
– Harney & Sons Fine Teas in Hot Cinnamon Sunset and Black Cask Bourbon
– Hand-made organic candles
– Tony’s Chocoloney ethical chocolate bars (I’m more of a dark chocolate girl but Emerson is definitely a milk chocolate fan!)
– Leather coasters that feature NYC icons at sunset: the State of Liberty, the Empire State Building, and the Brooklyn Bridge
– I’m still in search of cute tote bags to put all the goodies in!

2.) I have giveaways for everyone who’s there
– Metal bookmarks with charms that have significance to Emerson’s story. Each one is unique and I made them for you.
– Art prints with a dark academia and fairycore theme that have the feel of Emerson’s life in New York City and her adventure in Ireland. Each one has a hand-written quote from the book on the back
– Cake in a flavor Emerson would love (the book starts on her birthday so cake is required for the party!)
– Giant cookies
– Paper bookmarks with Emerson art (and the QR code for the book’s website)
– To honor my rescue soul dog, Phineas, and Emerson’s rescue soul dog, Friday, I’ll be making a donation to 15/10 Foundation for every person who attends the party. 15/10 is a nonprofit started by @weratedogs founder, Matt Nelson, with a mission of making shelter dogs with medical needs more adoptable. Since 2015, Matt and his team have raised over $2 million to help dogs in need.

I can’t wait to see you at my book launch party on Friday, May 31st, and I hope you’ll love these gifts!

creativity

My second novel, Emerson Page and Where the Light Leads, launches today

Christa Avampato
My new novel is available now everywhere books are sold

Today’s the day! My second novel, Emerson Page and Where the Light Leads, is available now everywhere books are sold including Amazon (Paperback and eBook), Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org, and Books-A-Million.

Synopsis:
It’s New Year’s Eve in Times Square. Just as Emerson Page is about to celebrate the start of her 15th birthday, she comes face-to-face with a family friend-turned-traitor. They begin a dangerous race against time, both willing to give their lives for the lost treasure her mother died trying to protect: an ancient book authored by the Greek muses, Emerson’s ancestors, that contains the secrets to unlimited creativity. Its wisdom is both a powerful tool and a dangerous weapon.

To find the book, Emerson, her friends Skylar and Truman, and her service dog Friday, have to entrust their lives to a series of mythological creatures to usher them deep below the streets of Dublin, Ireland into the land of the faeries. There, they’ll have to convince the faeries to give them the book by exchanging it for a priceless gift of their own.

Can Emerson and her best friends finish the work her mother began and protect the power of human imagination forever, or will her enemy capture the book to boost his own power?

Two notes:
Local bookstores and libraries can order the book with ISBN: 978-1-958901-80-9. The book is distributed by Ingram.

Though Emerson Page and Where the Light Leads is a sequel to my first novel, Emerson Page and Where the Light Enters, readers don’t have to read the first book to enjoy the second.

creativity

My novel, Emerson Page and Where the Light Leads, is an official selection at the 2024 New Media Film Festival

Christa Avampato
https://emersonpagebook.wordpress.com/shop/

Closing out the week on a high! I just found out that my upcoming novel, Emerson Page and Where the Light Leads, is an official selection for the 2024 New Media Film Festival in Los Angeles in June. One of my big goals for Emerson is to have her story made into a film or series so bumps like this within the film industry mean a lot. I’m grateful for this honor and I’m hoping I can get to LA for the festival in June.

On Coverfly, a platform that curates film, book, and media awards, my book is ranked in the top 34% of over 135,000 projects in all genres and formats, and top 19% of books and manuscripts.

Thank you to everyone who continues to champion Emerson and support me in my creative work. Your encouragement means everything to us.

On May 14th, the book will be available everywhere books and eBooks are sold. Pre-orders can be placed now on Amazon, Bookshop, and Barnes & Noble. The first book in the series, Emerson Page and Where the Light Enters, is available now in paperback and as an eBook everywhere books are sold.

creativity

Tips for authors: How to successfully pitch individual book reviewers

Christa Avampato
Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash

My second novel, Emerson Page and Where the
Light Leads, will be released everywhere books are sold
in less than a month on May 14th. This week I’m focused on pitching the book to
individual book reviewers. These are reviewers with popular websites and social
media accounts who primarily focus on reviewing books. I wanted to share some
top tips for authors who are pitching these reviewers:

Review their websites
There are sites like BookSirens.com that make it easy to find book reviewers.
It may be tempting for authors to just contact all reviewers on platforms like
this and let the chips fall where they may. This hurts you and it hurts all
other authors, too. Use these platforms to go to the individual websites. What
does a reviewer care about? What’s their style and brand? Would your book be
appealing to them, and if so, what you can you highlight about your book to get
their interest?

Respect the reviewer’s guidelines
By going to their websites, you will almost always find review guidelines.
Please follow these to the letter. What do they want in the pitch? What do they
not want in the pitch? What types of books and authors interest them? If they
are not a match for you, don’t contact them. Again, they are flooded with
requests. If they aren’t a match for your book, save your time and theirs, and
move on. 

Respect the reviewer’s genre and format preferences
Within their guidelines, they will often define the genres and formats
(paperback, ePub, PDF, etc.) they prefer. They may also define what they don’t
want. Again, if they aren’t a match for you and your book, move on. I started
out sending my PDF as an attachment in my pitches. Then I decided it was best
to send the pitch without any attachment because the PDF is a big file and may
clog their inboxes. So just send the pitch as an email with no attachment and
include a link to your book or author website instead.

Personalize the pitch
Now that you have all this information from the reviewer’s website, personalize
your pitch. Give them everything they ask for and give them a reason to be interested
in your book. Is there something on their website, social platforms, or in
their bio that you love? Do they have a personal interest that matches with a
unique aspect of your book? Touches like that show your care and generate
connection. 

Respect the reviewer’s time
Authors are strapped for time whether or not they have an agent, and whether or
not they have a publisher or have chosen to self-publish. (FYI — I don’t have
an agent and I have a publisher.) Having a book published is launching a
business. You, the author, need to do a lot of marketing and promotion of your
book. There’s a temptation to save time and send mass emails to reviewers or
take a “spray and pray” mentality. I get it. But please don’t do that. You are
asking a reviewer to give hours of their time reading and reviewing your book.
Make it easy for them to say yes by following their guidelines, preferences,
and personalizing your pitch.

Have you successfully pitched book reviewers? What are some other top tips
you would share? 

creativity

LoveReading names Emerson Page and Where the Light Leads an “Indie Book We Love”

Christa Avampato
https://emersonpagebook.wordpress.com/shop/

LoveReading, the UK’s leading book recommendation website, named my upcoming novel, Emerson Page and Where the Light Leads, an “Indie Book We Love”. This is based on their ambassador readers providing top reviews for the book. A huge thank you to the LoveReading team for this recognition. I’m excited for readers to have this story when it launches everywhere books are sold on May 14th!

“Beautifully described and written. As a reader, you are rooting for her to win the fight for good.”

“A fantastical tale, imaginative world, and beautifully crafted story that allow the reader to become part of the story. Altogether thoroughly entertaining and literally spellbinding.”

“A fantastical tale that combines an academia style vibe (think Indiana Jones’ hunts for lost artefacts) with magical creatures. Into a mythical world, Emerson works to carry on her mother’s work, and we’re seeing a young teen and her family manage grief and try to come to terms with loss. This element adds another dimension to a magical adventure, and gives the story a lot of heart. ‘Emerson Page and Where the Light Leads is part fantastical quest and part coming-of-age. It’s an easy to read story that teens and young adults will love. ‘Emerson Page and Where the Light Leads’ by Christa Avampato is book two in the Emerson Page series. I would recommend starting this series with book one, ‘Emerson Page and Where the Light Enters’ in order to fully immerse yourself in Emerson’s story.”

Pre-order Emerson Page and Where the Light Leads on Bookshop.org and Amazon.

Emerson Page and Where the Light Enters is available now on Bookshop.org, Amazon, and everywhere books are sold.

creativity

Writing the acknowledgement and author’s notes sections of my novel

Christa Avampato
Photo by Leon Contreras on Unsplash

Today I’m writing my author’s note and acknowledgement sections of my novel, Emerson Page and Where the Light Leads. With a May 14th release date, tomorrow March 1st is my last day to submit anything to my publisher. I’ve procrastinated (which to be honest I never do because it’s not at all in my nature) writing these sections for two reasons: 1.) I’ve been heads-down on my dissertation and 2.) I’m scared. My first full messy draft of my dissertation is nearly done so now I need to get over my fear and write these last 2 pieces.

Why am I afraid to write them? First, these are very personal sections of the book. I want them to be meaningful and poignant as I talk directly to the readers and publicly thank those who have been instrumental in the creation of this book in particular. At the time of this writing, the world is a heavy place. Since my first Emerson Page novel, Emerson Page and Where the Light Enters, was released in 2017, the world at-large and my world in particular have gone through seismic shifts. I want to say something that gives people hope, and I want to express my immense gratitude as clearly as possible.

Maybe that’s it. Maybe that’s where I start, exactly where I want these pieces of the book to land—with hope and gratitude. If I can get those two ideas across to the readers, then I’ll have done what I set out to do.

creativity

The galley of my novel, Emerson Page and Where the Light Leads, is finalized

Christa Avampato
From the author page of my book

Buzzing with excitement! The watermarked galley (proof copy) of my novel, Emerson Page and Where the Light Leads, is finalized! The press release and sell sheet are in progress. The manuscript along with the press release, sell sheet, and cover letter comprise the media packet. These will start to go out to media reviewers next week, as well as feature editors, book sellers, podcast hosts, book award competitions, and potential partners.

My website and socials will be updated, as well as my newsletter, in the new year. The next season of my podcast, JoyProject, will focus on the book, writing, and publishing. I want this book to be a bright spot, not a blind spot. I want Emerson’s story to be a respite so everyone who slips into her world for a short time can gather the strength and inspiration they need to keep going. A trip through a magical version of New York City and Ireland can do wonders for the imagination!

Publishing a book is akin to starting a business, marketing and promoting a book is a joint responsibility between the publisher and the author. My experience in business (specifically as an entrepreneur and product developer) is enormously helpful in my work as an author. Because I’m often pitched to as a journalist, I work hard to craft my pitches so they’re personal, relevant, and as interesting as possible. I need to make it easy to want to read and share my book, and I’m grateful to anyone and everyone who takes the time to even consider my pitch. I know how precious time is.

To that end, if you or someone you know would be interested in reviewing or selling the book in any medium or channel, please let me know at christa.avampato@gmail.com. A million thank yous!

creativity

Write every day: Book Review – Don’t Read the Comments by Eric Smith

Christa Avampato

44674897Social media is a wild ride. Stories abound about connections made, connections lost, and connections we wish would get lost. Once the conversation about social media starts, it doesn’t take long for the topics of cyberbullying, loneliness, detachment, and trolling to rear their heads. In his debut young adult novel, Don’t Read the Comments, author Eric Smith serves up all these issues—the good, the bad, and the ugly—on a silver platter for us to consider.

Divya Sharma (screen name D1V) reigns supreme in the virtual world of this year’s hottest online game, Reclaim the Sun, until a group of online trolls attempt to unseat her from her star status. The stakes of the story climb higher as we learn that her celebrity isn’t a personal ego trip; it’s the engine that drives sponsorship dollars to help her single mother pay their bills. For online gamers, this book hits close to home, and presents their greatest dream and worst nightmare wrapped into one story arc along with an intense look at the devastating personal impact of racism, sexism, and toxic masculinity. For people who aren’t familiar with online gaming, Divya’s story is a heart-wrenching scenario of a daughter willing to risk everything to help her mother who is her everything.

Much of the story focuses on Divya’s online travels with another online gamer, Aaron Jericho, as the trolling skyrockets out-of-control threatening everything, online and off, that Divya and her producer and best friend, Rebekah, have built. Aaron’s online admiration of Divya translates into a friendship and romance IRL. It’s these bittersweet moments, the silver linings that can only be realized through painful growth that precipitates drastic change, that keep readers turning the pages of Smith’s book, wanting to know how, when, and to what end Divya’s online and offline lives will collide. After the last page, we’re left wondering if there truly is or ever could be any separation at all between the world (or in Divya’s case, worlds) on screen and the material world. Or, is that separation a facade in and of itself.

I read Smith’s book in November 2019, and now in January 2020 I’m still thinking of Divya. I’m hoping that her life is working out exactly as she wanted. I’m wondering how things have evolved with Aaron and how her mom is doing with her new lease on life that Divya helped to create. I’m curious if she’s gaming, in the worlds of Reclaim the Sun or otherwise. Without me even realizing it, Divya became as real to me in the pages of Smith’s book as anyone I know. That’s the lesson of Divya’s journey for all of us—we don’t have an online life and real life. It’s all real. It’s all one life, no matter where we live it. And it all matters.

Don’t Read the Comments is published by Inkyard Press. It’s available on Amazon and Indiebound. You can follow Smith’s journey as an author and literary agent through his delightful Twitter feed @ericsmithrocks.

creativity

A Year of Yes: The Kirkus Review of my book, Emerson Page and Where the Light Enters

Christa Avampato

emerson-page-and-where-the-light-enters-6x9-front-backI’m so excited to share the Kirkus review of my book, Emerson Page and Where the Light Enters. Thanks to Kirkus for considering my book and for the incredibly kind words; I’m more motivated than ever to write book two!

“In this debut YA novel, the extraordinary truth behind the death of her mother kindles a teenager’s determination to claim her place in a world-threatening conflict between light and dark.

Odd things are happening around 13-year-old New Yorker Emerson Page, a girl who has suffered from severe anxiety since the death of her mother five years ago. The official cause of death is still unknown. The teen’s therapy dog, Friday, is her anchor; so is Columbia student Skylar, who stays with her when Emerson’s forensic linguist father is away. A trip to her favorite bookstore is the catalyst for puzzling events that begin with the gift of an old tome; the disturbing appearance of a part-metal, part-flesh woman named Cassandra; a howling storm; and a riot on the street under a sky “painted the color of chaos.” Indeed, mysteries and portentous happenings so abound that readers could well feel at sea if not for Avampato’s taut unveiling of a fantastical hidden world, where descendants of the nine Muses in Greek mythology must find a way to prevent the destruction of all human creative thoughts and endeavors by one of their own. Can Emerson be the key? The author takes her relatable heroine on a journey toward self-determination, strength of purpose, and the discovery of her own gifts of light and imagination. During Emerson’s odyssey, paintings come to life; books in a vast “Library of Imagination” represent nothing less than the lives of every creative mind on Earth, past and present; and the heroine faces the nightmare that is Cassandra’s dark world of “In-Between.” The multilayered plot and vivid prose amply illustrate the tale’s key themes: the importance of human imagination, the arts, and invention as well as the value in finding and sharing one’s light. A suspenseful fantasy that delivers a richly layered, thought-provoking plot infused with messages about self-realization and the significance of imagination and creativity.

Avampato may want to reconsider her statement, in her otherwise inspirational note about why she wrote her work, that there are “almost no” YA books “in which a female protagonist takes control of her own life and destiny.” Among the wealth of such novels: Robin McKinley’s The Hero and the Crown, Philip Pullman’s The Golden Compass, Tamora Pierce’s Beka Cooper series, Catherine Linka’s A Girl Called Fearless, and Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games.”

(On the this last point, I appreciate the push though stand by my belief that we do not have nearly enough YA novels that positively portray strong female characters. As support, I give you this short film by Rebel Girls that shows just how few positive role models girls have in literature: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1Jbd4-fPOE

To that end, I’d be glad to have an open discussion about this, and to find ways to feature more powerful girls and women in stories.)