A wonderful way to close the last week of 2017: a live on-screen interview on Cheddar about my book, Emerson Page and Where the Light Enters. Thanks so much for to the team there, especially hosts Baker Machado and Jill Wagner, and to expert publicist, Dan Fortune. Happy to give thanks and shout-outs to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, my inspiring home city of New York, and National Novel Writing Month. Watch the interview here: https://cheddar.com/videos/what-it-takes-to-get-a-novel-published
Tag: books
In the pause: My live on-screen interview on Cheddar
I’m so excited to share that I’ll be doing a live on-screen interview about my young adult fantasy book, Emerson Page and Where the Light Enters, on Friday at 1:30pm Eastern on Cheddar. You can tune in at Cheddar.com, cheddar.twitter.com, and www.facebook.com/cheddarlive/. I’ll post the link to the interview on Friday afternoon once I have it. Thanks for all your support on this journey with special thanks to publicist extraordinaire, Dan Fortune.
More about Cheddar:
Cheddar focuses on covering the most innovative products, technologies, and services transforming our lives. The programming is available on Sling TV, Amazon, Vimeo, Twitter, Xumo, Pluto TV, and 60 percent of smart TVs in the U.S. They also stream live on Facebook and on Twitter’s homepage during certain hours. Certain Cheddar hours also air on Fusion, the cable news network available in over 60 million homes.
Other past guests include Ford CEO Mark Fields, CBS CEO Les Moonves, Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson, Thrive Global Founder Arianna Huffington, T-Mobile CEO John Legere, New York Stock Exchange President Tom Farley, Hearst Magazine CMO Joanna Coles, Twitch founder Justin Kan, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Tory Burch, Tony Robbins, Kareem Abdul-Jabaar, DJ Khaled and more.
Here are links to recent interviews with Will.i.am, SNL’s Kenan Thompson and Lea DeLaria. Check out their sizzle reel, too.
In the pause: Iceland’s beautiful Christmas Eve tradition of books and chocolate
Iceland has the most lovely Christmas Eve tradition. There they give books to each other on Christmas Eve and then spend the night reading, usually curled up under a cozy blanket while eating chocolate. This tradition is the reason for the word Jolabokaflod, or “Christmas Book Flood”. It signifies the time between September and December when the majority of books are sold in Iceland in preparation for Christmas giving. 1:10 Icelanders is an author, and they buy and read more books per capita. What a country!
Now that Emerson Page is out in the world, I’m going to have to figure out how to get her to Iceland, in book two and into Jolabokaflod. I’ll be glad to tag along to see what she finds.
Wishing you a cozy, comfy December 24th filled with books and chocolate.
In the pause: A momentous weekend as a writer
A great big day today: my book, Emerson Page and Where the Light Enters, had nearly 2500 downloads on Kindle this weekend, hit #1 in its Kindle categories, broke into the top 100 Kindle books across all categories on Amazon, and the incredible Dan Fortune landed me a huge interview for the end of this month. I am literally floating. Thank you to everyone for being a part of this wild literary ride. I love you. Keep dreaming.
In the pause: How other authors bring out the best in our writing
Earlier this week a new author told me that he was afraid to let his characters be harmed. And I told him that he has to let them breathe and live, and that means that difficult things can, will, and must happen to them. It’s the overcoming of obstacles that makes for powerful storytelling.
What I didn’t realize is that giving this advice would give me new Emerson material. I have had the ending scene of the second book in my mind for some time and it puts a beautiful bow on this arc of Emerson’s journey. And then, after this conversation with this author, it came undone. Another very small scene came into my mind when I got home and it wouldn’t let me go. Though it’s only four lines, it’s jarring, even to me. And it’s absolutely what must happen. It hurt my heart to write, and so I had to get it down in ink. No matter how long we’ve lived with our characters, their stories will still surprise us.
While I’m busy working away on book 2, you can download the Kindle version of Emerson’s first book, Emerson Page and Where the Light Enters, for free for one more day today. Visit Amazon to get one for yourself and for all the readers on your list!
In the pause: Messages in dreams
I believe that our dreams can send us the messages we need exactly when we need them. Yesterday I had a dream that I had handed in my manuscript for Emerson’s second book. There was a note on top of it that said, “Dedication – that’s your only goal now.”
Though it was a very short dream, it had a powerful impact on me. It gave me encouragement to stay on this path, to keep creating, dreaming, and growing. To keep helping other people. To keep standing up and speaking out to help build a better world. I hope that by sharing this message, it helps to encourage you, too. Stay true to who you are and the impact you want to have. We need you.
In the pause: Get your free copy of my book on Kindle today
Today’s the day! Today, tomorrow, and Saturday my book Emerson Page and Where the Light Enters, is available for free as a Kindle download. Just go to the book’s page on Amazon, and you’ll see that the price has been reduced from $4.99 to $0 for these days only. Download it for yourself and to give as gifts to all the readers on your list. Happy holidays from Emerson Page!
In the pause: My book will be available for free download from December 14th – 16th
Mark your calendars! This Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, December 14th – 16th, my book Emerson Page and Where the Light Enters, will be available for free as a Kindle download. Just go to the book’s page on Amazon, and you’ll see that the price has been reduced from $4.99 to $0 for these days only. Download it for yourself and to give as gifts to all the readers on your list. Happy holidays from Emerson Page!
In the pause: Help my discover the secrets hidden underground and overhead in New York City
I’m completely obsessed with the secrets of New York City. It’s haunted in the best possible ways. As I write Emerson Page’s second book, I’m learning that there is so much here she needs to discover. I need to explore these secrets first-hand, and I want you to go with me! Interested? I’m now amassing a list of tours and places that I’ll be poking around in the coming months. Here’s a sampling of what I’m finding:
- Hidden places, often in plain sight. Wormholes, secret passageways, and underground art installations.
- The strange and mysterious history hidden in the architecture that rises up dozens of stories high everywhere we go.
- Secret ways to get up close to priceless treasures that are usually impossible to access.
This city literally breathes. It’s always whispering to us. I’m listening and getting it all down as best I can. I hope you’ll join me in this pursuit.
In the pause: My book about Emerson Page is the perfect gift for readers who love mystery, adventure, and New York City
And so the holiday shopping season begins!
My book, Emerson Page and Where the Light Enters, is the perfect gift for people who love mystery, adventure, and New York City. It’s now available in paperback and ebook formats at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and at your favorite independent bookstores. It is appropriate for adult readers and for young readers who are 9 and older. (If the young people in your life have read Harry Potter books, this one will be just fine for them in terms of reading level and themes.)
Synopsis:
Thirteen-year-old Emerson Page wants to know what happened to her mother, Nora, a world-renowned anthropologist well-known for her research on ancient cultures and languages. Five years ago, Nora was found on the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
“We’ve never seen anything like it,” said the NYPD. “It’s as if she just fell asleep on the steps of the museum and never woke up.” Eventually, the police gave up their search for answers. But Emerson didn’t.
Her journey to discover the answers about her mother’s mysterious death takes her deep below the streets of New York City on a dangerous adventure into a magical world of books. There, she learns the stunning truth about her mother and her own destiny to continue her mother’s legacy.
Time is running out. An alarming threat looms large and too close to home. With the very existence of human imagination at stake, can Emerson find the strength to fulfill her mother’s final wish before it’s too late?
READERS’ FAVORITE 5-STAR REVIEW – “A big, imaginative, and beautiful coming of age tale that begs for a sequel. Able to win my heart from the very beginning with a powerful hook. A fascinating story deftly told, a tale of courage and a gritty investigation. A radiant adventure that is captivating and mystifying. The young heroine is brilliant and inspiring, curious and bold, strong and vulnerable, loving and powerful. A story that will enthrall both young adult readers and adults with powerful themes seamlessly woven into its fabric. It is all go, all the way through. A masterpiece. This story pulled me in deep, and there was no letting go until the last page. I hope that this is the first of many.”
Christa Avampato 