Release day! The Best Things in Death by Lenore Appelhans (that's me!)

So excited that THE BEST THINGS IN DEATH is now available!

It's a short story collection in the the Memory Chronicles universe, but also can be read separately from the series. It features:

A memory of Julian spying on Felicia approximately 9 months before the events of LEVEL 2/THE MEMORY OF AFTER

A memory of Neil and Felicia enjoying a gorgeous summer day a week before their death

A memory drenched in blood and murder

A memory of a first love that features LGBT characters and a POC

Here's what Susanne Winnacker has to say about it over at The League of Extraordinary Writers.

And here's where you can buy it -- for only $1.99:

Amazon Kindle
Barnes and Noble
Simon and Schuster and other formats

Add it to your shelf and/or let me know how you like it over at GoodReads! 

Cover Reveal: The Best Things in Death by Lenore Appelhans

Exciting news! On May 27, 2014, Simon and Schuster will publish the Memory Chronicles ebook original short story collection THE BEST THINGS IN DEATH.  Here's the cover!

Preorder on amazon, barnes & noble, other platforms (note: last time I checked, the description of the book was outdated, so please disregard if that's still the case)

Add to Goodreads

THE BEST THINGS IN DEATH is best read after THE MEMORY OF AFTER (aka LEVEL 2), though the stories can also stand alone outside the series. It can be read before or after CHASING BEFORE (no spoilers for the sequel). A reminder: CHASING BEFORE comes out on August 26, 2014. More info.

The stories are from the points of view of the following characters:

Neil -- A week before his car crash with Felicia, Neil spends a perfect day at the swimming hole. He and Felicia have never been happier. But can he work up the courage to tell her that he loves her?

Julian -- Months before the events of THE MEMORY OF AFTER, Julian and Mira spy on Felicia and Autumn during a trip to Iceland.

Libby -- Character first introduced in CHASING BEFORE. Libby and her boyfriend Jeremy head off on a road trip to Las Vegas and stumble upon truths potentially deadly to their relationship.

Brady -- Character first introduced in CHASING BEFORE. An unexpected encounter with the charming Oliver brings cancer-patient Brady out of his shell.

Hope you enjoy it! (My agent did)

Reading a new ms. from @lenoreva, "The Best Things in Death." What a writer, what an imagination! So excited for others to read this. (May).
— Stephen Barbara (@Stephen_Barbara) February 10, 2014

Memory Chronicles News (with obligatory cat photo)

The Memory of After paperbacks have arrived at my house (!!!) and Lu snagged one for himself already.

The paperback version of Level 2, The Memory of After will available in stores September 3rd.  It includes a cross-section of a Level Two hive as well as a sneak peek of Chasing Before, the sequel due Summer 2014.

I'm running a quick Goodreads giveaway for 4 copies of the autographed paperback  (Lu can't hoard them all) so enter here by August 30th.

Oh - have you ever wondered why there are no celebrities in Level Two? Well, now you can find out the reason at Scott Reads It as part of the Authors are Rockstars Tour!

Also, less than a week until the Chasing Before cover is revealed. I'm so excited for you all to see it -- it fits the story so well and also looks amazing next to The Memory of After cover. :D 

Book news!

We had a great mail day yesterday!

First - finished copies of CHICK-O-SAURUS REX (which comes out July 23, 2013)

You can already preorder on amazon or at an independent bookstore near you.

Then, I got copies of the Tawainese version of Level 2

Lots of quotes on it from people we know

I also got cover flats for THE MEMORY OF AFTER paperback (new title of Level 2), but I can't show them because they have the cover of CHASING BEFORE on the back ... which I will reveal soon, but not quite yet.

Speaking of THE MEMORY OF AFTER (Level 2) - there's an awesome eBook sale going on which ends tomorrow.  Get it on kindle for only $3.79. Or in any other eBook format for only $3.99.

Come see me on tour + Photos from last tour

I'm flying to the US again next week for events and general mayhem.

Come see me (and remember to ask for chocolate and swag like tote bags, magnets, and more!):

 Love & Death Tour
April 17, 2013 Decatur, GA
Little Shop of Stories time TBA
With Lauren Oliver and Lauren Morrill

 Houston Teen Book Con
April 20, 2013 Houston, TX
Panel and book signing

 Love & Death Tour
April 27, 2103 NYC
Books of Wonder 12-2 pm
With Lauren Oliver, Lauren Morrill, Adele Griffen, Rachel Shukert

 Meet the Author
April 29, 2013 Beloit Public Library, Beloit, WI
7 pm

Teen Science Fiction and Fantasy Night
St. Louis County Library Headquarters, St. Louis, MO
April 30, 2013 7:00 pm
With Antony John (Elemental), Lauren Oliver (Delirum) and Tamara Ireland Stone (Time Between Us)

Romantic Times Booklovers Convention
May 1, 2013 Kansas City, Kansas
Panel: Young Adult: Buzz from those in the know

Love & Death Tour
Anderson's Bookshop Naiperville, IL
May 2, 2013 7 pm
With Lauren Oliver and Lauren Morrill

Romantic Times Booklovers Convention
May 4, 2013 Kansas City, Kansas
Teen day signing (11 am) and party
NOTE: You can (and should) bring your own books to this signing as copies for purchase will be very limited

I was on tour in January/February and since I got back and basically collapsed into edits, I never posted my photos anywhere but Facebook.

So here are some highlights!

USBORNE LEVEL 2 LAUNCH PARTY/LONDON/JAN 10, 2013

Usborne rented out Ice Tank - the perfect location for the white world of Level 2:

I got my nails painted for the first time ever (Level 2 style!):

The official photographer had people pose with crazy props. Here she is fitting Daniel into one of
them:

Lucky 13er Amy McCulloch (The Oathbreaker's Shadow) and me:

See more photos from the London Launch and behind the scenes info at Dark Readers.


S&S LEVEL 2 LAUNCH PARTY/WATERMARK BOOKS/WICHITA, KS/JAN 16, 2013

I actually wrote up a recap for this event that you can check out on the Lucky 13s blog. And Kelly of Stacked did a recap too!


MYSTERYSCAPE/KANSAS CITY, KS/JAN 19, 2013

Emily Hainsworth (Through to You) and I interviewed each other during this event.  Fun format! Here we are with Alison M.

A ton of KS authors came out to support us including Claire Caterer (The Key & The Flame), Bethany Hagen (Landry Park), and Laura Manivong (Escaping the Tiger). Laura also got me a spot on the Fox TVmorning show so that was kinda crazy!  And blogger Andy came as well as my HS friend Andi and her daughter.

A recap of this event at Escape to New Worlds


ALA SEATTLE, WA/S&S LIBRARIAN PREVIEW & MORE/JAN 25-27

S&S had me introduce Level 2 to a group of librarians over lunch and I got to meet Sarah T. finally:

Everyone who attended got Level 2 tote bags.  I love the S&S Library marketing team! They were so much fun.  They also set up a dinner with me, Kimberly Derting and Jeyn Roberts where we were served CHUNKS of chocolate cake.  I wish I had gotten a photo. They were so huge.

This was my first ALA and I enjoyed running into bloggers (way too many to name here, but you know who you are!), librarians and authors both on the exhibits floor and at the YA Highway/Stacked meet-up.  Here I am with Emma Trevanye (Coda) -- we are showing off our Fluevogs.

I know there is a Lucky 13ers photo floating around but I can't find it -- lots of us there including Amy Tintera (Reboot), Kristin Halbrook (Nobody But Us) and Kristen Kittscher (The Wig in the Window). Oh + Cat Winters who was signing In the Shadow of Blackbirds and Sarah Skilton who was signing Bruised. I know I'm missing some too ...

ALA recap at The 1st Daughter


NOT YOUR MOTHER'S BOOK CLUB/BAY AREA, CA/JAN 30, 2013

NYMBC hosted me, Lissa Price (Starters) and Erica Lorraine Scheidt (Uses for Boys):

Also great to see Cory Jackson (If I Lie) and Tamara Ireland Stone (Time Between Us) again.

MALAPROPS/ASHEVILLE, NC/FEB 2, 2013

Why has no one told me how awesome Asheville is? I loved it! Fun panel with Beth Revis (Across the Universe), Meagan Spooner (Skylark), Victoria Schwab (The Archived) and Megan Sheperd (The Madman's Daughter):

Plus guess who lives in town and bought a copy of L2? Stephanie Perkins! You bet I had a fangirl moment:

And so many awesome blogger friends showed up to this event -- Christina, Vania (+ her awesome writing group ladies), Heather and her son, K8, Kathy, and the West twins:

Also, I must mention the elusive WalMart and all the fun Kathy, Christina, Raquel and I had trying to find a bottle opener for our wine ...

More recaps of this event at BermudaOnion, Froze 8, Buried in Books, and Bookworm in Love.

FOUNTAIN BOOKSTORE/RICHMOND, VA/FEB 6, 2013

Kelly Justice is one of the coolest bookstore owners I've ever met and she moderated a panel with Jodi Meadows (Incarnate), Meagan Spooner, Megan Sheperd, and me. Here we are with our books:

Lots of blogger friends came out to this too - Susan, Becca, Rebecca, Amanda, Jess and Lucky 13ers Anne Westrick (Brotherhood) and Elle Cosimano (Nearly Gone). I also ate corn dog nuggets, awww yeah!

A recap of this event at Wastepaper Prose

HOORAY FOR BOOKS/DC/FEB 7, 2013

Another signing with Megan, Jodi, and Meagan:

Hooray for Books is such a great store and I adore owners Ellen Klein and Trish Brown. Lots of bloggers came out including James, Vi, Amanda, Cecelia, Megan (no H), Jessica, Jenn and Steph. And lots of DC area authors too including Jessica Spotswood, Diana Peterfreund, Ellen Oh, Miranda Kenneally, Jodi Lynn Anderson and way more.

More recaps of this event at Step Into Fiction, Ellen Oh's blog and Book Chic.

Okay, now I have to take a nap ...

Hope to see YOU this time around :D

Cover Reveal! The Memory of After by Lenore Appelhans

Today I have something very special …  I get to announce the new title and paperback cover of LEVEL 2.

Going forward, LEVEL 2 will now be known as THE MEMORY OF AFTER, and the sequel, LEVEL 3, will know be known as CHASING BEFORE.

So, introducing THE MEMORY OF AFTER ….

I love it! Don’t you? I'm especially in love with the type and the sleek, almost high-fashion design. Fun fact: This photo is from the same photo shoot as the LEVEL 2 cover.

Now I know you’re probably asking yourself – why the title change?

Sometimes, you just don’t get the title right the first time. I still love the title LEVEL 2, but once it was on the shelves, we started getting a lot of the same feedback - customers thought it was a sequel because of the numeral 2 in the title.

I get it. If I only glanced at a book in the store and saw a 2, I might think “Oh, I haven’t read the first one … what else is there?”

So - the amazing team at Simon & Schuster went back to the drawing board and put together this exciting redesign. I can’t stress enough how supportive everyone has been there and I’m thrilled that they believe so much in this book.

THE MEMORY OF AFTER will be available in paperback on September 3, 2013 and will include an excerpt of the sequel, CHASING BEFORE as well as the cross section illustration of a Level Two hive.

And yes, this means that LEVEL 2 hardcovers and swag are going to be collectors items :D  You can get both on my April US tour (coming to Atlanta, Houston, NYC, Beloit, Wisconsin, St Louis, Kansas City and Chicago) - all tour details here.

Also, starting next week (April 15th) THE MEMORY OF AFTER is a complimentary full read for Pulseit members, so if you haven’t joined yet, and want to read the novel for free, get on over there and sign up for the site!

Tell me what you think! And thanks for spreading the word.

If you have any questions, I'll be answering them in the comments all day.

Add THE MEMORY OF AFTER to Goodreads

Level 2 for Libraries

Surfacing today from the revision cave (working through a very long editorial letter for Level 3) to talk a bit about libraries.

Growing up, I practically lived at the library.  I was that girl who stalked the new releases shelf relentlessly and read between the stacks. My backpack was always weighed down by books. My library card was worn and chipped.

I was blessed to have access to libraries with shelves full of both classics and brand-new titles. I know not everyone is.  Whenever I read about library budgets being slashed, or see teens talking about how their libraries get very few new books, I'm heartbroken.  Of course I wish every library could provide every book that their patrons desire.

Last week, I made an offer on twitter to YA librarians -- if they had been unable to purchase LEVEL 2 for their collections because of budget cuts, I said I would be happy to donate one.  My thinking was that such a donation is a win-win. Librarians can offer their patrons something new, and LEVEL 2 is available to even more readers.

The response was so positive, I've decided to make the offer again, this time to my blog readers who may not have seen the tweets.

So, if you're a YA librarian at a community or school library in the US and you'd like to add LEVEL 2 to your collection but couldn't order it because of budget concerns, please fill out this form.  I'll send a copy to the first ten librarians that respond.

Long live libraries!

Find out more about LEVEL 2 at my website.

Level 2 Launch Week Interview Series: Audiobook Narrator Jenna Lamia

To celebrate the launch of LEVEL 2 on Presenting Lenore, I devised a plan to interview some of the industry people involved in getting the book published and on shelves. Today the audiobook released, and I have Jenna Lamia on the blog. She narrated the US audiobook from Listening Library.  I am listening to it now, and let me tell you -- she is amazing! I want to listen to everything she ever narrated now.

INTERVIEW

How did you get a start in audiobooks? What interests you most about the process?

I was at my agent's office in New York when I was first starting out, and one of the voice over agents, Shari Hoffman, asked me if by any chance I could do a Russian accent. With characteristic misguided aplomb, I said "sure!" She took me to a recording booth and gave me a few pages to read. I hadn't ever thought about doing books on tape but I was soon hooked. The first book I ever did was called "Bat 6," and it was read by an ensemble of young women. I believe the first book I did on my own was "The Girl With The Pearl Earring." I remember having such a dry mouth, due to nerves, that I had to take little bites of a granny smith apple between takes. Shari is still my agent today.

What interests me most about doing books on tape is that it is acting without the ego. There is no hair and make-up, no lighting - the physical aspects of acting fall away and the performance gets very intimate. It is the most relaxed I ever am as a performer, because I am not worrying about hitting a mark or messing up my hair or finding the light. It is very pure. I love that about it.

You're a film actress as well. Can you tell us about a memorable on-set experience you've had?

There are lots of memorable experiences, but the one that sticks out didn't happen on a set, exactly. In the 2010 movie "The Fighter, " I played Sherri Ward, Mark Wahlberg's character Mickey Ward's youngest sister. The Ward family lived in the town where we shot the movie, and soon after we got there, the actress playing the oldest sister got a call on her cell phone. It was a few of the Ward/Ecklund sisters and they wanted to meet us. I was excited and totally intimidated. This was not a formal meeting set up by the production. What if they hated us? 

We drove to their house, somewhat late at night, and they invited us in for a drink. It was awesome!!! They were so welcoming and generous, and totally without artifice. We met their mother, who was the backbone of that whole family. We stood in the kitchen and talked, and it was the biggest gift I've ever been given as an actress. When you are playing an actual person, and they are still very much alive, they become your only audience. If Sherri had hated how she was portrayed I would never have forgiven myself. But I think she was OK with it. We are now friends on Facebook and she keeps me updated on how she and her family are doing. They are a very close-knit family and I feel lucky that I got to know them a little bit.

How did you prepare for your LEVEL 2 narrating session? Did the book present any special challenges? Which was the most difficult character to find a voice for?

I prepared for it the way I always do: I read the book and made little notes in the margins. I don't practice voices out loud before I get to the studio. I don't know why. I read the book and let it sit with me, and look up any words or pronunciations I'm not sure about. And then by the time I get to the studio, the characters have (hopefully) taken shape. I guess Julian was the most difficult to specify a voice for because whether he is good or evil is not at all clear. You want that air of mystery and intelligence, charm even, but not warmth. Neil is warm. Julian is... slick.

Even though there’s not really a love triangle, people tend to pick teams anyway – so tell us, are you Team Neil or Team Julian?

I remain undecided. I am waiting for the next book, because I think we are going to see more layers!!!

Thank you Jenna!

Listen to a sample of Jenna reading LEVEL 2 at Listening Library.

TODAY'S LEVEL 2 LINKS

Level 2 Blog Tour Post at Cuddlebuggery: I reveal my high school writing. It is NOT pretty.

Interview at Novels on the Run

Brave New Shelf presents Level 2 nail designs in her new feature Polish & Prose

GIVEAWAY

Enter here for a chance to win a LEVEL 2 prize pack! Includes the LEVEL 2 audiobook, an exclusive tote bag, magnet, nail design instructions, nail polish, and signed postcards.  US and Canada only. Enter by Feb 6, 2013 at 11:59 CST pm.

Level 2 Launch Week Interview Series: Editor Alexandra Cooper

To celebrate the launch of LEVEL 2 on Presenting Lenore, I devised a plan to interview some of the industry people involved in getting the book published and on shelves. Today I have the amazing Alexandra Cooper, Senior Editor at Simon & Schuster BFYR, and the acquiring editor of LEVEL 2.

THE INTERVIEW

Thanks for joining us! To start, can you tell us a bit about yourself?

I grew up outside of Minneapolis, Minnesota, which also happens to have a fantastic children's book community (shout-out!) I started working at Simon & Schusteras an editorial assistant, and I've been there ever since. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to grow my own list in my time there, and now I get to work with lots of amazing writers, of whom you are one, Lenore!

Thank you! I notice a lot of similar elements in books that you’ve edited – close father/daughter relationships and road trips for example. What about Level 2 hit your sweet spot?

I think it's less that there are specific features I look for, and more that certain themes tend to resonate with me subconsciously--which I believe is true of every reader. When I first read Level 2, the pacing hooked me right away, but what kept me invested was Felicia's arc. In a way, I think Level 2 is a coming-of-age for her, realizing that she has to make peace with some of the regrets from her time on Earth. The contrast in her character from who she was on Earth and who she becomes in Level 2 was an aspect of the story I also found fascinating. I love that she questions everything, that she doesn't always make the "right" decision, thatwe get to see her make mistakes and misjudge people--that's the best way she knows how to figure out who she is and what's important to her.

Do you have a favorite scene in Level 2?

For me, an unforgettable scene is when Felicia is in Turkey with her father and their guide, Azrak, to track down a herd of goats that her father wants to record--the premise alone is sort of preposterous, and Felicia's narration of the trip is witheringly funny.

That's my favorite scene! Even though there’s not really a love triangle, people tend to pick teams anyway – so tell us, are you Team Neil or Team Julian?

Isn't the beauty of reading Level 2 that we don't have to choose? Let's just say I had to pick my answer to the previous question carefully, lest I betray my strong preference for one of the guys in Felicia's life (and afterlife).

Any hints you can give us about Level 3?

There is a lot of unfinished business that comes back to haunt the main characters in ways I don't think people will see coming!

Thank you Alexandra!

TODAY'S LEVEL 2 LINKS

Today starts the international leg of the LEVEL 2 blog tour: 5 Ways Book Blogging Can Help You Get Published at Reading Wishes.

I was on TV! The Kansas City Fox 4 Morning News team interviewed me on Saturday morning.

An article about me and LEVEL 2 in the Kansas City Star.

Andy of Escape to New Worlds recaps my Mysteryscape Event with Emily Hainsworth (THROUGH TO YOU)

Level 2 Launch Week Interview Series: Beta-Readers!

To celebrate the launch of LEVEL 2 on Presenting Lenore, I devised a plan to interview some of the industry people involved in getting the book published and on shelves. I had several fabulous beta-readers and I got to talk to two of them about the process. Read on!

THE INTERVIEWS

Kelly Jensen is a reference librarian who does teen services at a public library in Wisconsin. I've been blogging at STACKED for almost 4 years, and I'm in the process of writing a VOYA guide to contemporary YA fiction. Follow her on twitter: @catagator

How did you get into beta-reading and what skills does a beta-reader need?

I'm part of a critique group, which includes agented and unagented writers, and I've been a part of that for two years now. It's helped me hone my beta reading skills, as well as my skills in more thorough critiquing of writing. A good beta reader is someone who can look at the whole picture of a manuscript and figure out what is and isn't working on a grand scale and on a granular one. In other words, a good reader sees what the big picture is and what within the smaller pictures are contributing to it. They read with the ability to ask questions that need answers.


By the time you read Level 2, it had already been through one round of editing at my publisher. What were the strengths and weaknesses of the manuscript at that point for you?

Strengths of Level 2 included the world building and the pacing, as well as the writing. The weaknesses -- and something you poked fun at me about repeatedly in my notes -- included the fact at times Felicia felt too cold and she felt very distant from the reader. In other words, I wanted more insight into what she was thinking and experiencing. I wanted her FEELINGS and THOUGHTS. I got them :D

Even though Level 2 doesn't really have a love triangle, readers still love to pick teams. Which team are you on?

Team Felicia. She's strong. She's smart (even if she doesn't always make good decisions). She's driven. What more can you want from a lead character?

Thanks Kelly! You can read more of Kelly's thoughts on LEVEL 2 on her blog.

Heather Anastasiu's novel GLITCH debuted last year, and the second book in the trilogy, OVERRIDE comes out on Feb. 12th. She recently moved from Texas to Minneapolis, MN and spends most of her time this winter drinking hot tea and cuddling in warm blankets. Find out more about her and her books on her website: www.heatheranastasiu.com or follow her on Twitter: www.twitter.com/h_anastasiu

In your opinion, what makes a good beta reader?

A good beta reader is someone who will dive in and really be able to see the core structure of the story. They can tell you if plot events don't have a good cause and effect cycle, if a character isn't emotionally making sense (and point out the areas that cause the confusion), and if the payoff at the climax feel like it was well earned or not (and what things could be changed to make sure that it does).

When I beta I also try to point out the positives of things that I love along the way too, because it's easy to only point out the problems, which I know from experience recieving edits, can just make you want to cry! It also depends on what kind of draft I'm reading. If I'm reading a very rough first draft, I approach it more like a broad edit-letter kind of thing, just pointing out big structural and character arc issues. If it's a more polished draft, then I do more line edits, actually getting into the text itself and making changes and suggestions. Most of the beta reading I've done has been a mix of both. Also, as a writer, I love beta readers who will give suggestions on how to fix problems instead of just pointing them out. Even if they aren't the solutions I end up going with, it helps loosen me up and give a place to start brainstorming from.

You read the first draft of Level 2. Be honest - how bad was it?

Lol, it wasn't bad at all! I remember being completely immersed in the story and just having questions about certain things and wanting them clarified.

Even though Level 2 doesn't really have a love triangle, readers still love to pick teams. Which team are you on? Team Neil or Team Julian and why?

I'm totally Team Julian all the way, maybe because, in spite of the flashbacks in Level Two, she's spending so much time with Julian, and he's got that dark mysterious bad-boy past thing going on :)

You're one of the few people to have read Level 3 already - what can readers look forward to?

Oh my gosh, so much AWESOMENESS! When I read it, I was like, um, there's not much to critique ,even as an early draft, it was SO good. There's so much action, the stakes are always high, and we get to see Felicia grow so much, both in her understanding of herself, and in her relationships with the people around her. What I love about your writing is that your characters always feel so lifelike, with all our human foibles, mistakes, and moments of triumph.

Thank you Heather! I can attest that Kelly and Heather (and all my beta-readers) were awesome and essential to the process. Each helped me with different aspects of the novel and I can't thank them enough.

TODAY'S LEVEL 2 LINKS

If you missed it yesterday, here's the recap of my US launch party at Watermark Books!

Check out this amazing Anatomy of a Level 2 Hive (cross section designed by an architect) over at Sophistikatied Reviews.

I'm in the Guardian talking about some of my favorite books dealing with memories and flashbacks.

The Forever Young Adult crew takes me Between Two Lockers and gets the lowdown on my teen self and LEVEL 2 in this hilarious interview.

On the last stop of the US leg of the LEVEL 2 blog tour, Novel Novice interviews Felicia's father Elliot. 

Nicole Bonia invites me to be a part of her Out of Twenty interview series.

FUN FACT: I did include an obscure reference to another book blogger in LEVEL 2. Want to know who? 

More new reviews from Allison at Good Books, Good Wine, The Book Cellar, Addicted2Novels, Young At Heart,  The Perpetual Page Turner, and Cracking the Cover.

Thank you so much for reading, reviewing and spreading the word. You all are awesome!

Level 2 Launch Week Interview Series: Editor Rebecca Hill

To celebrate the launch of LEVEL 2 on Presenting Lenore, I devised a plan to interview some of the industry people involved in getting the book published and on shelves. Today we have Rebecca Hill, Fiction Director at Usborne, and the publisher of LEVEL 2 in the UK.

Interview

Tell us a bit about the Usborne YA list. How does Level 2 fit into the list? What kind of books are you looking for?

We launched the Usborne Young Adult list in October 2010, with the publication of Angel by LA Weatherly. It was a fantastic bestseller in the UK and has now been translated into twelve languages, the PR and Marketing campaigns also won awards. From October 2010, the YA list quickly grew and we now publish around six new titles a year. Above all else, we love finding good stories and that’s what I’m constantly looking for; indeed, that’s why we all loved Level 2 so much. With its imaginative take on the afterlife and the concurrent past and present storylines, I couldn’t put it down.

You once told me that you started reading the pages of Level 2 at the Bologna Book Fair, sitting outside in the sun. At what point did you know you wanted to publish it in the UK?

Pretty quickly! From the minute I heard the pitch I couldn’t wait to read the book. It is rare for Usborne to buy a book on sample chapters, but the world of Level 2 was so vivid and imaginative – the pods are like an afterlife equivalent of YouTube – and Felicia’s character felt so real, flawed but likeable, that I was hooked! We all wanted it for our much-loved list.

Tell us a bit about the process of preparing Level 2 for the UK audience. How is the book different from the US edition?

Once Simon and Schuster had finished the main edits on the book, we were sent the final text. A very exciting moment! We read the book and marked any places where we felt things weren’t quite clear for a UK reader or places where the US vocabulary needed to be anglicized, so the only real difference between the US and UK editions are spellings, a few turns of phrase and one change of outfit for Felicia! We’ve even used the same cover, but we did tweak that slightly and change the back cover blurb.

Do you have a favourite scene in Level 2?

Ah, so many to choose from! There are two scenes which particularly stood out for me. Firstly, Felicia’s materialization of her nail-painting set; she’s finally getting to grips with her powers in Level 2, but uses them here in a way which is very much on her terms.

(Spoiler alert - roll over text to highlight it and read) I also loved the image at the end of Neil and Felicia connecting palms, and experiencing the transfer of memories as it was originally intended – it’s such a gorgeous, intimate moment:

Neil lifts his palm towards mine. When our skin connects, there’s a hum of electricity, and a rush of images fills my mind. The transfer is nearly instantaneous…


Even though there’s not really a love triangle, people tend to pick teams anyway – so tell us, are you Team Neil or Team Julian?

Oh that’s a hard one to call. We haven’t met the “real” Neil yet, except in Felicia’s memories, where he is insanely perfect, so, despite the fact that I hated Julian to start off with at this moment I’m Team Julian. However, I’m looking forward to seeing more of Neil in the next book, Level 3. All I can say is, watch this space…

Thank you Rebecca!

News round-up

My launch party is tonight and it's going to be super fun! Lots of friends, cupcakes, prizes!! I can't wait. 

I wanted to share a few more review links - Hobbitsies, YA Bibliophile, In Bed With Books, Book Symphony, and The Reader's Show.

Also, Author Jessica Spotswood (BORN WICKED) had me over for her Thrice interview and she's giving away a Level 2 swag pack including the exclusive tote!

Thank you for your awesome support, all your book birthday wishes yesterday and for spreading the word! I love you guys!

Level 2 Launch Day!

Can you believe it? Level 2 day has finally arrived!

Kelly from STACKED books blog flew in town especially to celebrate with me.  First, she gave me this amazing Level 2 necklace.

Then, she convinced me that the Barnes & Noble would have copies on the shelf, so we went in, and ta-da:

I asked if they wanted me to sign their stock -- and they did! So I did:

Then we stopped by Watermark where the launch party will be tomorrow night and they had a display in the window. So that was awesome.

Lots of great stuff around the web today.

First up - I finally reveal the complete LEVEL 2 playlist on Mundie Moms as part of the LEVEL 2 blog tour.

I talk about my path to publication on Cynsations.

One Four Kid Lit interviews me about writing LEVEL 2.

Emily's Crammed Bookshelf interviews me and gives away a LEVEL 2 tote bag.

Jenny of Forever Young Adult reviews LEVEL 2 on the Kirkus blog and says: "I can't wait to get back in my pod and relive my memories with this book!"

Booktrust UK picks LEVEL 2 to feature in January

LEVEL 2 is 365 Days of Reading's Pick of the Week

The Guilded Earlobe reviews the LEVEL 2 audiobook, and more reviews from Princess Bookie and Bookblabblers.

Thank you so much to everyone who has tweeted, e-mailed and facebooked book birthday wishes - I am having a fabulous day - about to get even more awesome with the arrival of Forever Young Adult's Jenny and her husband George.

More tomorrow!