Wow! It has been way too long since I updated my blog. So much has happened…
The biggest news is that the paperback of WHAT MY GIRLFRIEND DOESN'T KNOW is being released on December 16th. YAY!!!
And guess what? There is an awesome writing contest you can enter! The winner of the WHAT MY GIRLFRIEND DOESN'T KNOW writing contest will win a free six-week online writing class from Gotham Writers' Workshop! I will even post the winning entry right here on my website. And the ten runners-up will receive a year's subscription to Teen Ink. The winner and the ten runners up will each receive a signed copy of the book!
To enter the contest all you have to do is read WHAT MY GIRLFRIEND DOESN'T KNOW, and when you get to the very last poem, write a continuation of the story. But write this part of the saga from Sophie's point of view. Tell us what happens next. Does Sophie stick to her guns? Does Tessa fight back? Does Dylan seek revenge? Does Robin get bitten by a vampire?
Keep it short, but sweet—ten pages or less. And, of course, write it in the same style as WHAT MY GIRLFRIEND DOESN'T KNOW—in a series of poems. You can read about how to submit your entry right here: www.Writingclasses.com/Sonyacontest.
More great news: WHAT MY GIRLFRIEND DOESN'T KNOW was chosen a Notable Finalist in the PEN USA Literary Awrds, and it was also chosen a Bank Street Best Book of the Year. Hooray!!!
And…the Brilliance Audio version of WHAT MY MOTHER DOESN'T KNOW has been nominated to be a 2009 Selected Audiobook for Young Adults by YALSA.
Kirkus gave the audio version a great review that said:
"If Sophie's free-verse entries in Sonya Sones's WHAT MY MOTHER DOESN'T KNOW make her audience feel as if they're reading her most private diary entries, then Kate Reinders's narration will instill the feeling in listeners that the character is confiding her deepest, darkest secrets."
And now, get ready to hear me do some shameless namedropping:
I'm just back from a big conference in San Antonio where tons of YA authors spoke. So I decided to throw a party and dozens of my YA author idols came: Laurie Halse Anderson, John Green, M.T. Anderson, Virgina Euwer Wolff, Nancy Werlin, Will Weaver, David Levithan, Gordon Korman, Ellen Hopkins, Neil Schusterman, Ally Carter, Kathe Koja, Coe Booth, Lauren Myracle, Tanya Lee Stone, and Sarah Mlynowski to name just a few. I was in YA author heaven!
And speaking of being in YA author heaven, I've been catching up on my reading, and here are some of my recent faves: Papertowns by John Green, Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson and The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman.
Well, that's all for now. Until next time…
Happy reading!
Sonya