Paperback Party with Erin Entrada Kelly, May 19

The paperback of How to Disappear just came out from HarperTeen, so my local independent book store is throwing a little paperback party! It also features Erin Entrada Kelly whose novel You Go First is also out now in paperback. We'll be talking about the writing and publishing process, answering questions, and signing books! Come hang out. 

Speaking the Truth in YA: Three Conversations

NYC-area readers, writers, teachers, librarians, friends, anyone interested in meeting authors & learning stuff: Don't miss the NYC Teen Author Festival! I'll be appearing Saturday, March 30, 1-3 p.m. at the 42nd Street NY Public Library, Bartos Forum, as part of the SPEAKING TRUTH IN YA conversation with David Levithan. 

Conversation #1, 1:00-1:40 p.m. will feature Jessica Blank, Patty Blount, Amy Giles and Kody Keplinger

Conversation #2, 1:40-2:20 on March 30 will feature Rachael Lucas, Melissa Ostrom, Jenny Torres Sanches, Laura Silverman and me 🙂

Conversation #3, 2:20-3:00 on March 30, will feature @sarahbethdurst Sarah Beth Durst, Tiffany Schmidt, Natasha Sinel, Katrin van Dam and Ismee Williams.

All of the featured authors engage in the themes and forces that are shaping current teen’s lives, a range that includes politics, activism, gender, sexuality, neurodiversity, racial equality, parental control, medical ethics, & more, as well as the intersection of many of these.

Each author will read a short passage of “truth-telling” from their books, and then discuss how they approach the truth, including the challenges and rewards of doing so, and the necessity of both reflecting and questioning the issues we are currently facing as a society.

That's a lot of truth-telling! And it's only ONE of conversations that will be taking place at the New York City Teen Author Festival from March 24-31. Check out the whole schedule here: nyctaf.com 

I hope to see you at The New York Public Library on the 30th!

Don't Miss the NYC Teen Author Festival! (I'll be appearing Saturday, March 30 but there are tons more author events from March 24-31)

New York City readers (and anyone who lives close enough to get there for an event)... I'm coming to see you! 

I'll be appearing on Saturday, March 30, between 1-3 p.m. on one of three author panels discussing TRUTH-TELLING IN YA, moderated by the amazing David Levithan. My panel is at 1:40 p.m., but come for the whole afternoon! There are tons of author events all around the city from March 24-31. See the whole line-up of appearances here.

How to Disappear is coming soon... in paperback!

Hellooooo! Just a quick note to let you know that How to Disappear will be out in paperback on May 7, 2019, and you can pre-order it here and here and here and here. Of course, the hardcover version is still available all of these places, too. 

Give the gift of books... PLUS signed book plates and bookmarks from me!

Hi there! If you purchase one of my books (Between the Notes or How to Disappear) to give as a gift this holiday season, and would like to make it extra special... I will send you a personalized, autographed book plate and a set of bookmarks to include with the gift!

Just email a proof of purchase and tell me:
1) the name of the gift recipient
2) which book(s) you are giving
3) your name and mailing address

Here's a link to a bunch of places where you can order my book. (My first choice is always to support local booksellers who will order anything you want on request... so if you have one of those, do that! My local indie is Hockessin Book Shelf, for instance, and I just email them here and say, "Can you order this book for me?" and they email me back when it comes in.)

I'd love to open this internationally but the postage would kill me, so I have to make this U.S. only for the most part. HOWEVER, I will mail bookplates and bookmarks to the first 10 people outside the U.S. who email their request. 

Happy holidays everyone, and thank you so much for reading and supporting my books!

Finding joy amid the grief

Hello friends and readers. I’ve been away from the blog for a while, and before I jump back into my usual bookish news, I thought I’d let you know what's been going on. It’s not a happy story, I’m afraid. 

My husband, Rich, passed away suddenly at the end of November. We had been happily married for 21 years, dated for three years before we got married, and were friends for ten years before that. It has been hard to imagine life without him, and to in fact be living it. He was such a huge presence—full of life and love and energy. He was so eagerly looking forward to what was ahead for our family, in his work and my writing, everything that our children, Sebastian and Anna, would do in their lives, and everything we would do together. His obituary was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to write (which I only managed with help from my friend Betsy). It made me realize how fortunate I was to have had him in my life, and for our children to have had him as their father. I think he would’ve been surprised to see how much he’d accomplished in his short life, and how well he was loved. We miss him terribly, but we are trying our best to keep doing what made us happy, what made him proud, and what he would’ve loved doing with us.

I'm finding joy in my children... my son Sebastian is a musician (vocal and guitar) and he continues to perform and audition for colleges and share his music. My daughter is a dancer, and has immersed herself in that art, both performing and doing choreography. 

I’m finding joy in the books of friends... seeing my critique partner Joy McCullough’s historical novel in verse, BLOOD WATER PAINT, approach its release date with rave reviews is a source of considerable happiness. I am uplifted by all the bookish good news of so many friends. 

I’m finding joy in seeing my own books make their way in the world. HOW TO DISAPPEAR is featured in Scholastic Book Fairs this season, and many of those readers are finding their way to the special Instagram I set up for the main character, Vicurious. It's been lovely to connect with them. The book has also been translated into Polish, Italian and French so far... and it's fun to see readers sharing pictures of the foreign covers. 

Many wonderful friends from the YA community have reached out to me, to share their condolences and offer help, and I'm so grateful for that. I do feel surrounded by love and support. It's a tremendous help. 

I hope to be writing again soon. I had started working on a new book before Rich died, and that story is changing a bit, but I'm excited to dive back into it. I know who it will be dedicated to, and that motivates me. 

Thank you all for being here. You are a source of joy for me, and I'm grateful to have you.

Goodreads Giveaway!

Want to win a copy of How to Disappear? I'm giving away three hardcover copies on Goodreads. Open internationally. Enter by December 8! 

Goodreads Book Giveaway

How to Disappear

by Sharon Huss Roat

Giveaway ends December 08, 2017.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway