Bookstore Fun

Last year, we wrapped up the Pens Fatales blog after we felt it had run its course and we each needed to focus on our quickly-expanding writing careers. But once we did so, we missed it! So earlier this year, we bought it back. But as you may have noticed, we haven't been as active as we were in our first incarnation. We asked ourselves what was different. The answer wasn't what we expected:

It's been interesting to realize that in this world where social media is ubiquitous, we connect more *in person* than online. You'll still find us online individually (e.g. Juliet loves Facebook, Gigi loves Twitter, Rachael loves her blog, Mysti is part of another group blog), but when we get together as a group, more often than not it's at a cafe or a bookstore instead of here on the blog. Case in point: this past month, several of us did bookstore events together.

Here are a few photos from our events at Borderlands Books in San Francisco and Village House of Books in Los Gatos.

Borderlands Books manager Jude Feldman with Juliet Blackwell.

Juliet Blackwell signing books at Borderlands in San Francisco.

Gigi Pandian, Juliet Blackwell, and Kate Carlisle at Borderlands Books.

Sophie Littlefield, Rachael Herron, and Gigi Pandian
at Village House of Books in Los Gatos. 

Pack Up the Moon

Hello, you!  

It's today! My book is out TODAY! If you haven't read my books, this is the one I want you to read. If you're already a beloved reader of mine, this one is a little different. It's both heavier and lighter at the same time, a bit more intense and quite a bit more emotional. This will require more Kleenex than Cypress Hollow does, but I'm hoping it will also bring you even greater joy.  

Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Kobo | Indiebound

 In Australia and New Zealand, it has a different gorgeous cover (I won the cover lottery for both): 

Random House Australia | Amazon Australia

(Now, to whet your appetite, let me give you a quick sample. This is at the very beginning of the book, the moment Kate's life, off-track from a great tragedy, turns and heads in a new, wonderful, frightening direction.)

EXCERPT:A girl pushed her head in. "Can I just have a quick word with Ms. Monroe?" 

Kate had seen the girl--no, the young woman--during the talk. She'd stood in the back, her spine straight, the picture of an earnest art student. She wore a black, oversized tunic with red pockets and torn black tights. Her hair was multi-colored, stripes of blue and green cascading through her black curls. Kate had looked right at her, thinking she was a pretty girl who probably didn't know how beautiful she was going to be. An idle thought, that's all it had been. 

Vanessa raised her eyebrows. "Maybe in a moment? We'll be out in a--" 

Kate felt something twist in her stomach, an edge of nervousness, and she said, "No, it's fine," even while she wasn't sure if it was. She held the stem of her glass more tightly. 

Something was about to happen. 

Vanessa gave Kate a sharp, curious look and then nodded. The door clicked behind her. 

"It's me," said the girl.

______________________________________

Do swing by the blog to say hello or chat with me onTwitter or Facebook. 

What have the Pens been up to this month?

Here are a few photos of what we've been up to lately:

Rachael, Gigi, and Juliet at Gigi's book launch party for Pirate Vishnu.

(Rachael's latest, Pack Up the Moon, is out in March, and there are some joint events happening!)

Mysti with Dale Berry.

 

 Juliet and Gigi with Penny Warner at a charity tea.

Juliet on a writing break with friends-of-the-Pens Camille Minichino and Sophie Littlefield.