A Post-Valentine's Look at Love in Between the Notes + Goodreads Giveaway!

Yesterday was Valentine's Day, and I completely missed it because oops  but love is worth celebrating all year 'round, right? So I scoured my novel for the mushiest love quotes and realized I forgot to write any the best examples of love and affection are not always of the romantic variety. Of course, being a romance at its core, Between the Notes has plenty of awkward swoony and mortifying tingly moments. But it also has tense tender exchanges between friends and family. Plus, Ivy's terrifying stage fright passion for her music is a love story in itself. 

So, without embarrassing myself further ado, I present some of my favorite bits of love in Between the Notes... from the swoony to the friendly, and everything in between. And you better don't forget to ENTER THE GOODREADS GIVEAWAY or else.

The Swoony

"…he put one hand on the doorknob 

and the other on the small of my back. 

It was a simple gesture, but it melted me. 

He looked into my eyes, opened the door, 

and poured me into the room."

The Awkward

"He took a step back and looked at his feet, 

like maybe he was trying to give me a moment 

to collect myself. But I was pretty much uncollectible 

at this point, so I just stood there staring at him, 

all sweaty and panting like a dog."

The Brotherly

"He gave me one of his signature kisses—

a press of wet lips to my cheek, 

followed by a smacking sound. 

He hadn’t quite coordinated the two yet.

 I kissed him back, extra hard."

The Motherly

"She gathered me in her arms. 

Everything hurt when she touched me, 

but I didn’t want her to let go. 

I just wanted to cry on my mother’s shoulder

 and let her take care of me. 

And she did."

The Musical

"I took pride in being able to find music 

in nearly every sound. The rustle of leaves, a squeaky swing 

swaying in the breeze, the slamming of lockers… 

laughter, footsteps, sighs, even sneezes. 

Finding my own voice was sometimes hard, 

but I could always hear the music around me."

The BFFs

"I used to sit at my window, surrounded by soft pillows, 

talking to Reesa on my cell phone. She’d walk over to my house 

with her phone to her ear and I’d wave to her as she crossed the yard. 

We’d keep talking until she as in the house and up the stairs 

and sitting next to me and we’d say bye and hi without skipping a beat."

Do you realize how long it took me See how much fun I had making the colors of those quotes match the cover of my book? I did that for you so you better go enter my giveaway now because I love you. Seriously... please enter the giveaway! I will cry if you don't I can't wait to sign and personalize a hardcover copy of Between the Notes for the winner! OPEN INTERNATIONALLY.

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Between the Notes

by Sharon Huss Roat

Giveaway ends March 15, 2016.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

My 2015 Top Ten List (of moments to remember every time my book doesn't make a top ten list)

'Tis the season for "top ten" and "best of" lists of books for 2015, and I'm sincerely happy for all of my debut YA author friends whose books are getting a well-deserved shout-out. The ones appearing on ALL the lists? The ARE all that. It's true. I've read them and loved them. But there are also some books I've hugged to my chest and ached over, or laughed out loud at and shared with every teen reader I know, or otherwise fangirled over... that are NOT on the lists.  

And my book, too... it has not made it onto the radar screen of the top ten list-makers, either. 

Every time a list comes out, the part of my brain that's eternally optimistic (and completely delusional) says, "OH, goodie! A list! Let's see if Between the Notes is on it!" And I hopefully scan the beautiful books, oohing and ahhing over ones I haven't read yet that look sooo good. But, nope. My book isn't there.

And that's OKAY. Seriously. Because have you noticed how many amazing books came out in 2015? It's a huge honor to even be sitting in the same room. I've been part of the most incredible class of debut authors imaginable, and no one will never convince me that there has ever been or will ever again be a more impressive year. (I may be biased, but I don't think so. It was an awesome freaking year for YA.)

That said, it is still just a *teensy* bit hard to read list after list that doesn't include my book without feeling just a tad dejected. So, I made my book's very own top ten list. Here it is:

A TOP TEN LIST OF MY MOST AWESOME BOOK MOMENTS OF 2015

1) A few weeks before my publication date, a box arrived from Harper Collins—full of MY BOOK! Real books! That I wrote! Published! There they were. In a box! My son and I stacked them into towers and pyramids. I took photos. I clapped and squealed. (My teenage son is way cooler than I am, so he did not squeal. But I could tell he was pretty happy and proud of his mom.) 

2) A reader/book blogger from the Philippines tweeted me that she had read and loved Between the Notes. My portrayal of Ivy's disabled little brother, Brady, reminded her of her own disabled brother and their relationship. We exchanged private messages. She wrote at first that she couldn't put it into words. "Just thank you." To hear from a reader who identified so strongly with the disability experience I had written meant so much to me. I wrote to her, "You're making me cry!" And she responded, "You made me cry first!" As we exchanged messages, she revealed how Brady was similar to her brother. "Being a creature of habit, having his own logic, the repetitive gestures, therapy..." She also related to Ivy's sometimes less-than-stellar behavior. "I knew how she felt. The constant worrying and doing everything not to upset him and the what-ifs and all that." What a special feeling to connect with a reader so far away, about this very special character.

Launch party at Hockessin Book Shelf

3) My local indie bookstore, Hockessin Book Shelf, threw a kickass launch party for me. I signed books for two hours straight. There was wine and cheese and cupcakes. Friends and family and people I hadn't seen in years came. The store sold out of their copies of Between the Notes and we had to crack open my personal supply of books. A woman who'd read about it in the paper was excited that I'd written about the teenage experience. She had no idea YA even existed, and my book was her introduction! It was all very exciting. I may have levitated.

Look, Mom! Your book!

4) My kids and I made a special trip to Barnes & Noble the week after my book came out, to see it on the shelf. I was so nervous it wouldn't be there. But it was! Two stacks facing out! I nervously went to the info desk and asked if they wanted me to sign them. THEY DID! 

5) A friend texted me from a restaurant in Pennsylvania. "A young girl is reading your book at the table next to us." A few minutes later a photo came through. It was the first moment I had concrete proof that complete strangers were reading my book. I love that girl. I love all girls who bring books with them to restaurants. 

Representing Delaware at the National Book Festival!

6) The Delaware Division of Libraries/Center for the Book chose Between the Notes to represent Delaware in the States Pavillion at the National Book Festival. I wasn't a featured speaker or anything, but I did get to listen to Libba Bray and Jenny Han speak, and briefly meet up with fellow Fifteener Sabaa Tahir. I got to bask in the awesome of a massive convention center filled with book lovers. It was SO. MUCH. FUN. My book was sold in the store there, and was featured on a map activity for kids, and I got to appear at the Delaware booth and sign bookmarks. I brought 500 bookmarks with me and ran out a few hours before the day ended. Kids who came to the booth to get their map stamped were excited to meet an author... me! They got these great, excited looks of surprise and delight on their face when they found out I was "the author." 

Jon Sciezcka is holding my book!

7) Oh, and at the National Book Festival, I also ran into Jon Sciezcka (the first ever Ambassador of Young People's Literature and author of The Stinky Cheese Man and Squids will be Squids and so many other books my kids and I have adored). When I say I "ran into" Jon Sciezcka, I really mean that I recognized him walking through the pavilion and catapulted myself across the aisle to introduce myself and thank him for his awesome books and remind him that we'd met in Delaware when he appeared there a few years ago and tell him I was now published. Instead of treating me like a weird stalker or crazy fangirl, he said, "Let me see your book!" and "Welcome to the club!" We took a photo together. HE HELD MY BOOK. And then he followed me on Twitter. I died. 

8) OMG, fan Letters! A 12-year-old from Indiana wrote, "I know I am but a young girl who knows nothing compared to the world, but I do know I want to experience a love like that someday; beautiful, confusing, frustrating, dizzying, refreshing, amazing, exhilarating." A 14-year-old girl from Canada sent me a photo of herself hugging a library copy of my book. She listed all her favorite moments in the story, and I gobbled it up. Fans are lovely.

9) A friend who lives down the road, who generally does not read YA, stopped by with her teenage daughter to tell me how much they'd both loved my book. They were downright giddy. The daughter had finished reading at 5 a.m. that morning, and had wanted to call me in the wee hours of the morning to squee over it. I was particularly pleased that she liked it, because this girl also happened to be in my driveway the day I got the first proof of my book cover art. I hadn't shown it to anyone yet, and was excited and worried and ALL THE FEELS. She said, "You should show it to some teens and see what they think." I dragged her out of the car and showed it to her. And she liked it. I'm so glad she liked what was inside, too!

10) I was Facebooking with author Stacey Lee (Under a Painted Sky) the other day, and she wrote, "BTW Sharon, my neighbor's daughter LOVED Between the Notes. I gave it to her for her birthday. She said it was her favorite book of the year. :-) You should feel very proud." And I was. Because Stacey Lee, who wrote one of my favorite books of 2015, gave MY book to a reader on the other side of the country, and she loved it. In that moment, I felt like I'd just made the most important "Top Ten" list of the year. I made Stacey Lee's neighbor's daughter's top ten list. Then Stacey added, "She can't wait for your next one."

And that's when I decided to make my own top ten list, because the year has been full of special moments like these. I wouldn't trade them for an appearance on any "best of" list in the world.

THANK YOU ALL for a wonderful year!

My 2015 Reading Journal!

One of the highlights of my year as a debut author has been reading advance copies (or purchased ones) of books by other 2015 debut authors. Every few weeks (or several times in a single week), ARCs would arrive in the mail. Somehow, I found time to read them. And I didn't realize how MANY I had read until I made this list. FORTY-FIVE! 

I'm pretty sure this is the most books I've ever read in a single year. And they were ALL SO GOOD! Seriously. I'm not just saying that because I've become friends with so many of these authors, cheering each other on through this crazy year. There are so many amazing books on this list. I've pictured just a few of my faves.

A WORK OF ART by Melody Maysonet

AN EMBER IN THE ASHES by Sabaa Tahir

BLACKBIRD FLY by Erin Entrada Kelly

BLOOD AND SALT by Kim Liggett

CITY OF SAVAGES by Lee Kelly

THE COST OF ALL THINGS by Maggie Lehman

DATING DOWN by Stefanie Lyons

DEAD TO ME by Mary McCoy

DENTON LITTLE’S DEATHDATE by Lance Rubin

THE DISTANCE BETWEEN LOST AND FOUND by Katherine Holmes

EVERYTHING THAT MAKES YOU by Moriah McStay

EVERYTHING, EVERYTHING by Nicola Yoon

THE FIX by Natasha Sinel

FOR THE RECORD by Charlotte Huang

HONOR GIRL by Maggie Thrash

I AM HER REVENGE by Meredith Moore

IN A WORLD JUST RIGHT by Jen Brooks

JILLIAN CADE: (FAKE) PARANORMAL INVESTIGATOR by Jen Klein

LARK RISING by Sandra Waugh

LOCK & MORI by Heather Petty

MADE YOU UP by Francesca Zappia

MONSTROUS by MarcyKate Connolly
MORE HAPPY THAN NOT by Adam Silvera

MY HEART AND OTHER BLACK HOLES by Jasmine Warga

THE NIGHT WE SAID YES by Lauren Gibaldi

NONE OF THE ABOVE by I.W. Gregorio

NOT AFTER EVERYTHING by Michelle Levy

THE ONE THING by Marci Lyn Curtis

PLAYLIST FOR THE DEAD by Michelle Falloff

THE SACRED LIES OF MINNOW BLY by Stephanie Oakes

SIMON VS. THE HOMO SAPIENS AGENDA by Becky Albertalli

SKYSCRAPING by Cordelia Jensen

TINY PRETTY THINGS by Sona Charaipotra and Dhonielle Clayton

TRUEST by Jackie Lea Sommers

TUNNEL VISION by Susan Adrian

UNDER A PAINTED SKY by Stacey Lee

UNDERNEATH EVERYTHING by Marcy Beller Paul

THE WEIGHT OF FEATHERS by Anna-Marie McLemore

WE ALL LOOKED UP by Tommy Wallach

THE WITCH HUNTER by Virginia Boecker

WHEN REASON BREAKS by Cindy Rodriguez

I also read (by non-2015-debut authors):

THE WALLS AROUND US by Nova Ren Suma
HYPERBOLE AND A HALF by Allie Brosh
EL DEAFO by Cece Bell
WILL GRAYSON, WILL GRAYSON by John Green & David Leviathan

Books that haven't yet made their way to my mailbox on Fearless Fifteener ARC tours (but will soon), that I can't wait to read, include:

CONVICTION by Kelly Loy Gilbert
THE GIRL AT MIDNIGHT by Melissa Grey
THE CONSPIRACY OF US by Maggie Hall
WRITTEN IN THE STARS by Aisha Saeed
FANS OF THE IMPOSSIBLE LIFE by Kate Scelsa
AN INFINITE NUMBER OF PARALLEL UNIVERSES by Randy Ribay
THIS MONSTROUS THING by Mackenzi Lee

And, finally, books currently in my possession that I hope to read over the holiday:

THE CROSSOVER by Kwame Alexander (I've been saving it to savor on a quiet, cold day... but I did flip through it and fail to resist reading the poem "Ode to my hair" because that title! So good.)

MOSQUITOLAND by David Arnold
ALL AMERICAN BOYS by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely 
FROM WHERE I WATCH YOU by Sheila Grogan
ALICE IN WONDERLAND HIGH by Rachel Shane
RED QUEEN by Victoria Aveyard

5 TO 1 by Holly Bodger

Which of these books did you love in 2015, or which are you hoping to receive as a gift this holiday season? Share your favorites or wish list in the comments below! 

My Last Book Event of the Year...

Hi friends. I'm thrilled to be joining up with some of the loveliest authors on the planet for my final book event of 2015. It's been an amazing year... my debut novel came out in June and I've had so much fun meeting readers and other writers at events from coast to coast. 

If you're in the Philadelphia area, please come see us at Doylestown Bookshop on December 12! 

Nov. 28 is Small Business Saturday—The Book-Lover's Answer to Black Friday

Hey, booklovers! If you can't face the mall on Thanksgiving weekend but want to get started on your holiday shopping, there is no better way to find gifts for almost everyone on your list than a visit to your favorite local indie bookstore!

You might also bump into your favorite author... or ME! I'll be serving as guest bookseller at at Hockessin Book Shelf that day. Come say hi (and buy some books!)

Our next guest bookseller on Small Business Saturday, 11/28, will be Sharon Huss Roat, from 1:30pm-2:30pm. Sharon will...
Posted by Hockessin Book Shelf on Tuesday, November 17, 2015

November 15: YA Lit Extravaganza!

I'll be hanging out with these fabulous people on Sunday, November 15, at Main Point Books in Bryn Mawr, Pa.  Come see us! Buy a book or five for the YA readers on your holiday gift list! It will be a very casual affair. No formal presentation or panel. Just chatting and book signing. If you're an aspiring author and want to talk writing and publishing, we're happy to talk!

'Tis the Season... for Book Signings!

I am loathe to start thinking about the holidays before Halloween (or Thanksgiving for that matter). Ugh. But if you have book-lovers on your list this year, then it's a great time to start checking for author events in your area. Because...

Signed-by-the-author first editions make great gifts!

Can't make the actual event? Most bookstores ask authors to sign whatever stock is not sold at the event for customers to purchase later. If you want the author to personalize it to a particular recipient, call ahead to pre-order and leave a note for whom it should be signed.

If you live in the Philadelphia area, here are two upcoming events where I will be signing with several other debut YA authors. Something for everyone here!

Sunday, Nov. 15, 2015

MAIN POINT BOOKS

11 a.m.–1 p.m.

1041 W. Lancaster Ave., Bryn Mawr PA 19096

Young Adult Extravaganza featuring: Cordelia Jensen, Skyscraping; I.W. Gregorio, None of the Above; Marcy Beller Paul, Underneath Everything; Randy Ribay, An Infinite Number of Parallel Universes; and Sharon Huss Roat, Between the Notes.

Saturday, Dec. 12, 2015

THE DOYLESTOWN BOOKSHOP

1:30 p.m.

16 S. Main St., Doylestown PA 18901

YA Author Panel featuring: Cordelia Jensen, Skyscraping; I.W. Gregorio, None of the Above; Marcy Beller Paul, Underneath Everything; Randy Ribay, An Infinite Number of Parallel Universes; and Sharon Huss Roat, Between the Notes!