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Elisa Ludwig's Coin Heist is out this month, and we had to ask her about that cover! Here she is to share the story:

"I felt very very lucky to be part of the early cover design discussion. We shared some of our favorite covers for books out now, as well as some movie posters and went back and forth. My main input was that I wanted the cover to feel contemporary and fresh, to capture the fun and exciting pace of the story, and to appeal to boys and girls equally. No small feat!

"I got to see four rounds of comps, and it was fascinating to watch the ideas and inspirations evolve. I made some comments and suggestions along the way, but I also acknowledged that even though I have lots of opinions, I'm in the word business and not the image business, so I fully trusted the experts involved to come up with a great solution.

"I saw many 'original' images with different initial concepts. While they all shared a certain minimalist sensibility, some emphasized coins rather than human figures, others a 'plan notebook,' and still others had a tiled floor that represented the Mint at night. It's truly amazing how a seemingly simple design can communicate the plot, the mood, the characters and even the imagined reader of a book.

"When I first saw the final cover, I loved it right away. I'm a sucker for vintage graphics, and I thought the white font, bold green and stark silhouettes really evoked classic mystery/heist book covers while the background suggests the more tech-y, modern element of this particular plan. At the same time the details on the figures are emblematic of the characters in a way that won't limit the reader's imagination. My biggest takeaway: I'm in awe of designers! The silhouettes are an original illustration by Tahnee Gehm.

"I've already gotten a ton of positive feedback (from, it should be noted, both guys and girls). So yeah, I'd say it hit the mark."

Thanks, Elisa! Watch the trailer here!

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Plenty of wild things happened at Skyanne Fisher's PAYA Festival today.  A.S. King hand sold Beth Kephart books, because somebody had to.  Beth Kephart signed her books with A.S. King's name, because every tit deserves a tat.  Kate Walton looked gorgeous (nothing wild about that one, happens all the time).  Skyanne spoke of traveling to humdrum places like Ghana (Sure, Ghana.  Of course, Ghana.  Who doesn't yawn at Ghana?)  Elisa Ludwig showed up in a dress Beth Kephart wanted but Elisa (oddly) wouldn't give it to Beth.  Ilene Wong revealed deep secrets.  Margie Gelbwasser was adorable.  Heather of Children's Book World talked about how much she loves Jessica Shoffel (My Jessica Shoffel? I said.  My.  Very.  Own??)  And Beth Kephart got to sit beside the beloved Jennifer Hubbard, a full month shy of her Children's Book World event with Jennifer, David Levithan, and Ellen Hopkins.

And as if that were not enough?  There stood this delightful man.  Okay, so he could have used a little meat on his bones.  Sure, his hat wasn't as vintage as I'd have liked.  He was also (sorry!) on the tad short side.  But he was upright, strong, and he had a spine, and he could hold his own around three majestic authoresses.  Jennifer, A.S., and I fought over him—with the best vocabulary in the land, I can assure you.  Then he—not defeated, but slightly bored—suggested that we share.

We're big girls now.  Adults.  We did.

Thank you, Skyanne and PAYA!

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In my hurry through life I have, in some ways, been neglecting this blog and my blogger friends.  For that, I ask forgiveness.  This morning I'm about to head off to the library to collect a good dozen new books, but before I do I wanted to stop and share these moments from the past few weeks.

The first several shots take place at the Exton Barnes & Noble, where K.M. Walton brought a number of area YA and children's book writers together for what was a genuinely good time.  We're all together in that first shot—K.M. Walton, Elisa Ludwig, Amy Garvey, E.C. Myers, Monica Carnesi, Ame Dyckman, Dianne Salerni, and me.  And then there's Ame (who got a fantastic New York Times Book Review assessment of her Boy + Bot just last week), Elisa, and Eugene.

The next three shots were taken this past Tuesday, during my travels down Locust Walk and toward my classroom at 3808 Walnut Street.  The final image in that series is deliberately blurry; suffice it

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So here's a fun upcoming event.  Thanks to the organizational genius and generosity of K.M. Walton (whose mega book launch party you read of here), a number of young adult writers will be convening at the Barnes & Noble (Exton) on April 18 for the Educator Reception.

We're hoping to see you there, and to entice you further, I'm providing details below:



5:00 PM K.M. Walton
HOW TO GET YOUR STUDENTS TO WRITE LIKE THEY MEAN IT

5:30 PM Beth Kephart
STORY TOPICS THAT INVOLVE THE WHOLE CLASS AT THE SAME TIME

Signings by:
 K. M. Walton
CRACKED (YA)
TEACHING NUMERACY: 9 CRITICAL HABITS TO IGNITE MATHEMATICAL THINKING

Bio: K. M. Walton is the author of Cracked. As a former middle-school language-arts teacher and teaching coach, she is passionate about education and ending peer bullying. She lives in Pennsylvania with her family. You can find her online at KMWalton.com and on Twitter at @KMWalton1.


Elisa Ludwig
PRETTY CROOKED (YA)

Bio: Elisa Ludwig lives in Philadelphia. When she's not writing fiction for teens she writes about food for the Philadelphia Inquirer and other publications. Pretty Crooked is her first novel, and the first of a three-book series.

Amy Garvey
COLD KISS (YA)
Bio: Amy Garvey is a former editor who now enjoys working from the other side of the desk. She grew up reading everything she could get her hands on and watching too much TV (which she still does, and now includes an obsession with the CW's Supernatural). Cold Kiss is her first novel for young adults, and the sequel, Glass Heart, will be out from HarperTeen in September 2012. 


Beth Kephart
YA Books:
UNDERCOVER
HOUSE OF DANCE
NOTHING BUT GHOSTS
THE HEART IS NOT A SIZE
DANGEROUS NEIGHBORS
YOU ARE MY ONLY

Bio: Beth Kephart is the author of five memoirs, including the National Book Award finalist A SLANT OF SUN and the BookSense pick GHOSTS IN THE GARDEN.  Her other eight books include the autobiography of Philadelphia’s Schuylkill River, FLOW, and such acclaimed young adult novels as UNDERCOVER, HOUSE OF DANCE, and YOU ARE MY ONLY.  SMALL DAMAGES, Kephart’s seventh young adult novel, will be released by Philomel in the summer of 2012, and she is at work on two more Philomel books as well as a middle grade book about 1871 Philadelphia. Kephart teaches memoir at the University of Pennsylvania, reviews for the Chicago Tribune, has judged numerous literary contests, and has had her work translated into more than fifteen languages. She is the strategic writing partner in the boutique marketing communications firm, Fusion, and is a freelance reporter for Publishing Perspectives. Please visit Beth’s blog, twice named a top

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