For those living under a rock, Book Expo America is a gigantic book fair/publishing conference (the largest in North America, I believe), and this year it takes place 5/30-6/1 at the Javits Center in New York City.

All sorts of industry professionals will be present, and it’s basically a book-lovers dream come true.

I am super excited to have the opportunity to attend BEA this year. In the past, I’ve only experienced the magic via twitter, and each time left me seething with envy and crossing my fingers that I would one day be fortunate enough to attend myself. (So again: I’m super excited.)

A quick run-down of my schedule…

Where you can find me before BEA:

Wednesday (5/29) at 6:30pm, I will participate in the Teen Author Carnival
Jefferson Market Library, 425 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY
This event brings together a bunch of YA authors for a series of discussion panels. I’ll be on a “World Play” panel, followed by one on “Heroes and Heartthrobs.” The event is open to the public and should be a ton of fun. Full list of participating authors here, and detailed panel breakdown here.

For all my New York City friends who aren’t attending BEA, this is our chance to hang out! No BEA badge necessary! (And BEA-goers: you should absolutely attend as well if you’re in the city early enough. The more the merrier.)

Where you can find me at BEA:

Friday (5/31) from 10:30-11:00am, I will be signing copies of TAKEN at Table 2
Javits Center, 655 W 34th Street, New York, NY
Please stop by and see me if you can! I’d love to say hi, chat books, and sign a copy of TAKEN for you. (And because I can already hear some of you asking, no, I won’t be signing FROZEN at BEA. The ARCs don’t even exist yet! But soon, my dears. Soon.)

This is my only official BEA event, but I’ll be wandering the floor for most of the expo. Maybe we’ll cross paths!

Where you can find me after BEA:

Starting 6/2, I’m heading on the road with my good friends Sarah Maas, Susan Dennard, and Kat Zhang for the Young Authors Give Back tour! We’re hitting up Philly, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Grand Rapids, and Chicago–in that order–for a series of book signings and writing workshops (which we are hosting for free!). The full schedule can be found here.

I have a feeling I’m going to be exhausted when I finally get home later in June, but I am so pumped to be on the road with friends, and to have this opportunity to meet with readers and writers and lovers of book!

I really, honestly, truly hope to see you at one of the events!

I promised to reveal the title of TAKEN’s sequel after 50 RTs, and as you can see above, you guys met that challenge like pros. Rather than continuing to ramble, I’m just going to say thanks one last time–THANK YOU!–and get to the goods. It’s why you’re here, after all.

…

So without further ado,

the title of TAKEN2 is

………………

………….

……….

……

…

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

!!!!!!!!!! FROZEN !!!!!!!!!!

Guys, I love this title so much!!

Unlike TAKEN, which had a lengthy and exhausting titling process, FROZEN is the first thing I wrote on the page when I started drafting this sequel, and it stuck.

This title says so much about book two, both literally (the landscape/season), and figuratively (poor Gray and his conflicted heart). Not to mention the additional ways I can’t speak to without spoiling things from book one. (And I really don’t want to do that for those of you who still have TAKEN on your TBR pile.)

I’m just so pleased this title made the final cut, and even more pleased that I can share this book with you in less than a year. I counted down the days ’til TAKEN for 24 months, but FROZEN will be yours on 4/15/14. That’s just eleven months from today! (There’s always a rare chance this date could change–this is publishing, after all–but I’ll be sure to keep you in the loop.)

Until then, how about a sneak peek at the gorgeous interior pages for FROZEN?

You might remember that TAKEN’s “section” pages featured a tree from the cover.

Do with this info what you will…

:)

I’ve got a lot coming up in the next few weeks. I’m heading to BEA for some fun events, and then hitting the road with fellow writers Sarah J. Maas (THRONE OF GLASS), Susan Dennard (SOMETHING STRANGE & DEADLY), and Kat Zhang (WHAT’S LEFT OF ME) for the Young Authors Give Back tour. We’ll be signing at various bookstores (open to the public) and hosting FREE writing workshops for young aspiring writers (registration required).

The full schedule and further details are available on the YAGB website, but here’s a quick rundown:

New York, NY

5/29 Teen Author Carnival @ Jefferson Market Library –- 6:30-9:30 pm
425 Avenue of the Americas (at 10th St.), New York, NY 10011
Erin Bowman and Kat Zhang will participate in the Teen Author Carnival along with 11 other YA authors. Full list here.

5/30 Signing @ BEA –- 1:00-2:00 pm
Javits Center, 655 West 34th Street, New York, N.Y. 10001
Sarah J Maas will sign advance copies of Crown of Midnight at table 9

5/31 Signing @ BEA –- 10:30-11:00 am
Javits Center, 655 West 34th Street, New York, NY 10001
Erin Bowman (Taken), Susan Dennard (Something Strange and Deadly), and Kat Zhang (What’s Left of Me) will sign copies of their books at tables 2, 3, and 4, respectively.

5/31 BEA Author Speed Dating @ BEA –- 12:15-1:10 pm
Javits Center, 655 West 34th Street, New York, NY 10001
Sarah J Maas will participate in this event

6/1 New Adult Crossover Panel @ BEA –- 11:00-11:30 am
Javits Center, 655 West 34th Street, New York, NY 10001
Sarah J. Maas is contributing to this panel with author Samantha Shannon (Bone Season), and editors Rachel Manheimer and Michelle Nagler at the Midtown Stage

Philadelphia, PA

6/2 Workshop @ Main Point Books — 3:00-5:00 pm
1041 E Lancaster Ave, Bryn Mawr, PA 19010
Space is limited. Register via the workshop page.

6/2 Signing @ Main Point Books — 5:30-6:30 pm
1041 E Lancaster Ave, Bryn Mawr, PA 19010
Event is open to the public.

6/3 Workshop @ Mighty Writers — 6:00-8:00 pm
1501 Christian Street Philadelphia, PA 19146
Space is limited. Register via the workshop page.

6/4 Signing @ Barnes & Noble – 5:00 pm
1805 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103
Event is open to the public.

Baltimore, MD

6/5 Workshop @ Baltimore Public Library — 6:00-8:00 pm
9833 Greenside Drive Cockeysville, MD 21030
Space is limited. Register via the workshop page.

6/5 Signing @ Baltimore Public Library — time to come
9833 Greenside Drive Cockeysville, MD 21030
Event is open to the public. Books will be available for purchase at the library.

Pittsburgh, PA

6/6 Workshop @ Carnegie Library — 4:30-6:30 pm
708-710 Brookline Blvd Pittsburgh, PA 15226
Space is limited. Register via the workshop page.

6/6 Signing @ Penguin Bookshop — 7:15-9:00 pm
420 Beaver St, Sewickley, PA 15143
Event will be open to the public.

Cleveland, OH

6/7 Workshop @ Coventry School (co-sponsored by Mac’s Backs Books & Lake Eerie Ink) — 4:00-5:30 pm
2843 Washington Blvd, Cleveland Heights, OH 44118
Space is limited. Register via the workshop page.

6/7 Signing @ Mac’s Backs Books — 6:00 pm
1820 Coventry Rd, Cleveland, OH 44106
Event is open to the public.

6/8 Workshop @ Medina County Library — 1:00-3:00 pm
210 South Broadway Street Medina, OH 44256
Space is limited. Register via the workshop page.

6/8 Signing @ Medina County Library — 3:15-5:00 pm
210 South Broadway Street Medina, OH 44256
Event is open to the public. Books will be available for purchase at the library.

Grand Rapids, MI

6/11 Workshop @ Schuler Books — 4:00-6:00 pm
2660 28th Street SE Grand Rapids, MI 49512
Space is limited. Register via the workshop page.

6/11 Signing @ Schuler Books — 7:00-8:00 pm
2660 28th Street SE Grand Rapids, MI 49512
Event is open to the public.

Chicago, IL

6/12 Workshop @ 826 Chicago — 6:00-8:00 pm
1331 N. Milwaukee Ave Chicago, IL 60622
Space is limited. Register via the workshop page.

6/14 Discussion Panel and Signing @ Anderson’s Bookshop — 7:00-9:00 pm
123 W Jefferson Ave Naperville, IL 60540
Event is open to the public.

And here’s how this all ties back to TAKEN2′s title reveal…

I’d love your help spreading the word about the YAGB tour. I tweeted about it here, and am hoping you’ll be willing to retweet me!

Once we hit 50 RTs, I’ll reveal TAKEN2′s title!

If we go over 75 RTs, I’ll also select one random winner from the pool of retweeters, and ship them a signed/personalized hardcover of TAKEN (open internationally)!

So again, click here for my tweet, and then click the “retweet” icon. (If you create a brand new tweet and paste mine into it, I will not be able to track it, and it will not contribute to the RT count I use to determine when the title can be revealed. So just use the standard RT functionality).

I really hope to see you at BEA or one of the YAGB events! Until then, I’m going to dive back into pass pages for book two (which will soon, hopefully, have a publicly known name), and drafting for book three.

If you follow this blog, you know I’ve had a super busy month, and that didn’t leave much down time for reading. Here are the three books I read in April:

Natalie Whipple’s TRANSPARENT, which I was lucky enough to get my hands on early. The story follows Fiona McClean, an invisible girl forced to work for her corrupt father–spying, stealing, etc–until she flees to a small town with her mother in hopes of escaping a life of crime. While trying to carve out a new life, she makes new friends and begins to feel “seen” for the first time. But the question remains: can she stay hidden from her father or will he hunt her down?

Despite the supernatural powers, this novel still feels rooted in reality, and I think this is what I liked most about it. (Sort of like how the UNEARTHLY series is as much about a girl’s coming-of-age as it is about angels.) The friendships Fiona forms, and the complex relationships she has within her immediate family, are endearing. Her struggles with confidence and school feel authentic. Above all, Fiona is relateable. I can’t think of a single teen that doesn’t feel invisible at least once during those high school years, and I imagine Fiona’s predicament will speak to them. For a book filled with superpowers, this is not action-packed. But I liked that. It’s about the characters, and how their lives overlap and impact one another. This comes out in just a few weeks, so be sure to check it out!

Bridget Zinn’s story has been circulating the interwebs the last few weeks, but in case you missed it, here’s the short version: Bridget’s dream was to be published, but she lost a battle with cancer in May of 2011, at the age of 33. Her debut, POISON, released in March of this year.

After a vision in which she sees the princess as the kingdom’s undoing, potioner Kyra attempts to assassinate her with a poisoned dart. But she misses. Now a fugitive and on the run, her race to track down the princess and finish the job takes Kyra across the country, where she is pursued by the king’s army and her potioner ex-boyfriend, Hal. While this all sounds intense, I have to say that, simply put, this story is adorable. The stakes are high, but the tale brims with light-hearted moments and humor. There’s a dashing love interest. An adorable pink pig that is “supposedly” skilled enough to lead Kyra to the princess. And potions. Lots of magical potions. This is a sweet read, fantastic for readers who want a breezier, happier fantasy.

Elizabeth Noriss’ UNBREAKABLE just released a few days ago, but being late to the party, I only just picked up its predecessor, UNRAVELING. This story kicks off in high gear, with the protagonist, Janelle Tenner, being struck by an out-of-control pick-up truck. Miraculously, she does not die, but it is somehow resuscitated by Ben Michaels, a boy she’s never looked twice at in school due to his loner (and “stoner”) status. But why and how he saved her is the least of Janelle’s concerns once she stumbles across some of her FBI father’s files–mysterious murders where victims seem to suffer radiation, plus a countdown mechanism alluding that the world may end in mere days.

There were a lot of Veronica Mars meets X-Files vibes to this–action, mystery, detective work, etc. I’ve also heard comparisons to Fringe, but I haven’t watched that show, so I can’t speak to it. Regardless, this is a fast-paced mystery, where readers will continually wonder who is telling the truth and who is lying. The countdown headings on each chapter contributes to an addictive read, and the nearly 500 page novel seemed to fly by. Another nice touch, for me personally, was the ending. Major conflicts are resolved, but things do not end in a perfect bow. The characters are left to make difficult choices, battling between what their hearts want and what is right. Thriller and sci-fi fans should check this one out.

—

That’s it! Short and sweet for me this month. But what about you? What did you read in April?

And now, time to announce the #TakenWithTAKEN giveaway results! The following ten people will be receiving fancy TAKEN swag packs:

Jaime Arkin
Nikki Ramsay
Jessica Reid
Liz Parker
Krista Rogers
Kate Fahey
Katie O’Shea
Kayla Whaley
Kelsey Knupp
Kierra Determan

And the grand prize winner, who will receive a book from every PubCrawl author, plus a cute tote bag and an annotated ARC of TAKEN is…..

Katy Upperman!

I swear, Katy has the best giveaway luck of anyone I have EVER met. Random.org loves her.

If you see your name above, stay tuned. An email will be coming from me shortly.

Lastly: a big thank you to everyone who participated in the giveaway. I loved seeing your photos so much, I started a dedicated #TakenWithTAKEN pinterest board. While there are no longer any prizes to be won, please don’t stop sharing these pictures! They make me smile. :)

I’m going to try to sum up everything that followed in pictures, otherwise I’ll be typing all day, and I really don’t want to bore you all to death.

I went home to Connecticut for my launch party, which was held at the local B&N. The staff there was super sweet and incredibly accommodating. They made me a giant book wheel for the event. Just look at the gorgeousness:

Once the chairs started filling up, I talked for a little bit–about the book itself, the journey to publication, my creative approach to writing–and answered a bunch of questions. (This was a smart audience with tons of great questions).

Here’s me talking about the book. I’m not sure what I’m discussing, but I do like how I’m making a thumbs up.

Then it was time to sign! This was my first formal signing and I was definitely not prepared for how exhausting it would be–mentally, physically, emotionally. So many old friends showed up. Tons of family members. A good handful of YA fanatics. My cheeks were aching from smiling, and my writing hand started to cramp up toward the end, but these are good problems to have!

Me signing, followed by a shot with my aunt and cousin, then two fabulous friends from high school…

Later, there was cake. And some drinks. And then me crashing well before 10pm because I was just so exhausted. But to everyone who attended the party: THANK YOU! You made my release that much more special.

The following week I had another small event up here in New Hampshire at Hollis Social Library. I got to meet some readers and aspiring writers, and sign some more books.

Then I was off to Dallas for Edgefest. (This is a huge outdoor concert put on by a local radio station and the lineup was insanely awesome: Phoenix, AWOLNATION, The Airborne Toxic Event, Atlas Genius, Youngblood Hawke, and more!) I spent the day chilling with nine other incredibly talented, fabulous authors beneath a YA author tent, listening –okay fine, dancing as well–to awesome jams and selling books.

Before the bands showed up and attendees were let in, Sarah J Maas (who was there as a concert-goer) convinced those of us already at the stadium to jump for a photo. It’s now my new favorite thing:

From left to right: Mary Lindsey, Brigid Kemmerer, Victoria Scott, Brodi Ashton, myself, Susan Dennard

This event was a blast, but once again, very draining. Especially because the previous night, Susan, Sarah, and myself traveled an hour to meet fellow PubCrawlers Alex Bracken and Marie Lu (who were in town for TLA) for dinner and drinks. Unfortunately, we got lost approximately four times on the way to the restaurant; every road seemed to be under construction and rerouted.*** We finally arrived in one piece, and then talked books into the very late hours of the evening.

All in all, it’s been a crazy whirwind of a week. No, scratch that. Two weeks. Nearly all of my May will be dedicated to finishing my first draft of book three, so you can expect a dry spell here on the blog.

But looking ahead, I’m off to BEA at the end of next month, and then kicking off the Young Authors Give Back tour with Sarah Maas, Susan Dennard, and Kat Zhang. Check the schedule, because if you live nearby any of the cities we are hitting up, I’d love, love, love to see you! And don’t forget–Tracey Neithercott’s YA Book Club is reading TAKEN this month! We’ll all be chatting on twitter on May 1st at 9pm EST with the hashtag #TakenChat. Stop by and ask questions. I’ll answer them as best I can :)

* It may or may not be scientifically proven that 24hour periods pass exponentially faster as a release date approaches
** Sarah and Susan both deserve best friend awards for being so darn sweet.
*** Full disclosure: I do not understand Dallas roads. They all seemed twice as large and twice as complicated as the roads back east. Thank goodness we had a GPS.