Julie Murphy’s DUMPLIN’ to Netflix!

Fantastic news, friends: the film adaptation of Julie Murphy’s #1 New York Times-bestselling YA novel, Dumplin’ (HarperCollins/Balzer+Bray), will be released on Netflix later this year! The movie stars Danielle Macdonald (PATTI CAKE$) as self-proclaimed fat girl Willowdean Dickson, and Jennifer Aniston as Will’s mom, a former beauty queen who now runs her small-town pageant. Will signs up for her mom’s pageant as a protest that escalates when other contestants follow in her footsteps, revolutionizing the pageant and their small Texas town. With starry Texas nights, a swoon-worthy romance, red candy suckers, and a Dolly Parton soundtrack, the book–and now the movie–will be sure to steal your heart.

Anne Fletcher (The Proposal) directed the movie, with Dolly Parton recording new versions of her classic songs with collaborators such as Sia and Miranda Lambert in addition to six new original songs co-written by Parton and Linda Perry. The debut single from the soundtrack, “Here I Am,” will drop on September 14th.

For more information on the movie, check out the press release from the Hollywood Reporter! And congratulations, Julie!

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Pre-order PUDDIN’ on Barnes & Noble & Amazon, or read DUMPLIN‘ before you see the film!

Five Reasons You Should Pre-Order Julie Murphy’s PUDDIN.

If the post is a listicle, you know I mean serious business. And I do!

Check it out. PUDDIN’, the companion novel to Julie Murphy’s DUMPLIN’ is coming May 8th!

 

Here are just a few reasons you should pre-order a copy of PUDDIN before May 8th.

1. You’re going to love this book! 
   PUDDIN is beautiful, funny, ridiculous, moving, and powerful.

   Check out what Becky Abertalli, author of Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda, had to say: “Julie Murphy has created the platonic love story of a lifetime. I am wildly in love with Puddin’.”

2. You’ll love PUDDIN, even if you haven’t read DUMPLIN’
   PUDDIN isn’t a sequel– it follows the story of two characters introduced in DUMPLIN, Millie and Callie, in their own story of unexpected friendship, romance, and Taxas-sized girl power.

   And if you haven’t read DUMPLIN, you should! (DUMPLIN’s also going to be a movie this year with Jennifer Anniston and Danielle MacDonald, and an original soundtrack by Dolly Parton, btw).

3. You get awesome stuff!
    
   

   

   

   
   U.S. readers can preorder from any retailer and receiving a signed bookplate, bookmark, sleepover postcard, and lapel pin set! Just email your proof of purchase and mailing address to juliemurphypreorder@gmail.com.
   
   (Check out Julie’s twitter feed for more details about ordering through Blue Willow, and ordering outside the U.S.) 

4. Pre-Orders Help Your Favorite Authors
   Here’s some insider-industry knowledge for you: pre-orders help authors hit the New York Times bestseller list. All those pre-orders add up on pub day, raising a book’s rank, and helping it hit the bestseller list– which means more readers will discover great books, and great books reach more readers.

   Pre-ordering is a great way to support any new book by authors you love!

5. Order sooner, get it sooner, start reading sooner, feel awesome sooner.
   It’s that simple.

So, if you were planning to buy PUDDIN’, why not pre-order through Blue Willow Books, Barnes & Noble, Indiebound, or Amazon today? And if you weren’t, maybe check it out. It’s pretty cool. Just sayin’.

 

 

Oh no big deal

Just Julie Murphy hanging out with Dolly Parton while she records the soundtrack to the #DumplinMovie. Totally just a normal day over here. #Dies

 

#DVPitLive Video: On Pitches, Rep, and #OwnVoices

Last night I got to participate in this live stream for #DVPit along with Stacy Whitman, Publisher of Tu Books, and fellow-agent Quressa Robinson, hosted by the brilliant author Claribel Ortega. We answer questions about pitches, representation, #ownvoices, and all sorts of cool publishing stuff.

As you watch, appreciate the fact that my cat is just off-screen trying to climb in my lap, and my awesome wife is ten feet away making a dinner that smells so good you can practically see me drooling. Thanks to Beth Phelan and the #DVPit crew for having me!

Congrats to Chana Stiefel and the Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation

A huge congratulations to picture book author Chana Stiefel on her collaboration with the Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation. All royalties from Why Can’t Grandma Remember My Name will go to promote Alzheimer’s research and awareness. Way to go Chana and this awesome book for a great cause!

Thanks for the Trouble Book Launch

It’s coming! To the Strand! February 22nd!

Come join Tommy, pal and fellow-author Adam Silvera, and a whole host of brilliant human beings at the book launch for Tommy’s second novel, THANKS FOR THE TROUBLE…

 

“Tommy Wallach, Brooklyn-based musician and author of the best-selling We All Looked Up, comes to the Strand for a night of stories and songs to celebrate his brand-new novel! Thanks for the Trouble is a story of first and last loves that blurs the line between real and make-believe. Tommy will be in the Rare Book Room to discuss the characters, the story, and how it all came together with Adam Silvera, fellow chart-topping author of More Happy Than Not.”

Check out the event page on the Strand’s website to get your “ticket” (a copy of THANKS FOR THE TROUBLE). I’ll see you there!

11/19 Webinar: How to Be a Writer Without Losing Your Mind

Hi all! If you’ve enjoyed some of the craft-focused and inspirational posts I’ve done on this blog, you should check out my November 19th webinar with Writers Digest, HOW TO BE A WRITER WITHOUT LOSING YOUR MIND: Balancing Work, Life, and Craft. There will be a Q and A as well as query critiques for all attendees. You should check it out!

ABOUT THE WEBINAR

Being a writer can make you crazy. The writer’s life is at once invigorating and exhausting, it can be isolating and wonderfully social, inspiring as well as demeaning. As writers we bring our deepest, most sensitive selves to the page, and often the world can feel like a hyper-critical and uncaring receiver, where competition, criticism, and even the success of others can make writing feel like a chore, or worse-utterly terrifying. And yet, we’re driven to return to the page and express ourselves despite the uncertainty and the demands of day-to-day life.

How do we deal with all these contradictions, the isolation, the rejection, the irrational joys and sorrows of being a writer? In this live webinar you’ll learn many ways to kill the fear, or, as Robert Leckie said, shoot that old bear under your desk between the eyes.

With practical tips and tricks, examples from dozens of famous writers, and inspiration culled from years of experience as both an author and agent, instructor John Cusick provides the tools for tackling the writing life with gusto, enthusiasm, and balance. Learn healthy, productive techniques for combating the inner critic, utilize envy envy, and summon motivation. With humor and insight, this webinar will give attendees the skills to conquer the maddening uncertainties of writing and publishing, and to create a space for one’s writer self in the world.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:

• Techniques for balancing writing time and your day-to-day life
• Tips for staying focused when distractions demand your attention
• How to set up a mental and physical space for your writing
• Tricks for staying motivated and inspired
• Techniques for coping with insecurity, uncertainty, and rejection
• How to deal with your internal critic
• Daily practices and meditations specifically designed for the writing life
• How to take the measure of yourself as a writer, and keep writing!

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

• Anyone looking or inspiration and motivation to KEEP GOING
• Writers feeling hounded by their inner critic
• Sufferers of “writer’s block”
• Long time authors in a rut
• New writers looking to form strong writing habits
• Writers with day jobs and families, in school
• Writers who feel distracted
• Anyone who feels they “don’t have time to write”
• Writers who feel they’re on the verge of “giving up”
• Writers who find it difficult to get started
• Book lovers who want to pursue writing seriously
• Any writer seeking an agent, a publisher, a first book deal, that break out novel, or feel they are ready for their craft and career to take the next big step

ABOUT THE CRITIQUE

All registrants are invited to submit a query letter to be critiqued. All submitted queries are guaranteed a written critique by Literary Agent John Cusick.

If you’re busy November 19th, no worries– the webinar will be recorded, and you can re-watch it for up to a year. So sign up today!

Courtesy of Alex Thayer Stewart, who took these notes during a live version of this talk 🙂

CURE FOR THE COMMON UNIVERSE Cover Reveal and Giveaway Starts Today!

Today the #CureForTheCommonUniverse Manic Pixel Scavenger Hunt and Giveaway continues! Take it away Christian…

WELCOME TO THE MANIC PIXEL SCAVENGER HUNT!

LET’S GET SCAVENGING!

This is it, folks. This is your chance to easily win the CURE prize package:

An ARC of Cure for the Common Universe and an embroidery of ‘Nobody Puts Princess in a Castle’ from The Cotton Floozy!

Oo. Aah.

For a chance to win, just participate in the Manic Pixel Scavenger Hunt.

Oh, look, here’s a pixel now!

What do you see?

Write down your findings from this and the other pixels at any or all of the other blogs (listed below) and email them to me at cmheidicker@gmail.com or message them to C.M. Heidicker on Facebook.

For every three things you send, I’ll put your name in the hat (or my jeans pocket) again and again and again, and then I’ll draw five names out of the hat (pocket) and send prize packages to those people.

Go! Get started! Win it! Win it all!

Valynne Maetani

Carol Lynch Williams

Elana Johnson

Christian Trimmer

John Cusick

Brooke Lark

Brooke Kelly

The Cotton Floosy

#cureforthecommonuniverse #manicpixel

(I hope you’ll take some time to explore the amazing blogs.)

(I also hope this means that more than just my mom will participate.)

Tune in tomorrow to find out if you’ve won!

Happy Scavenging!

Go check out the book on Goodreads!

Prepare to be cured June 2016.

CURE FOR THE COMMON UNIVERSE Cover Reveal and Scavenger Hunt!

Today client-extraordinaire and brilliant author Christian Heidicker takes over the blog for this awesome cover reveal scavenger hunt and giveaway. Take it away Christian…!

Hello, everyone. My name is Christian McKay Heidicker.

WELCOME TO THE CURE FOR THE COMMON UNIVERSE COVER REVEAL AND SCAVENGER HUNT!

Whew. That’s a mouthful. Let’s try . . .

MANIC PIXEL SCAVENGER HUNT!

There. Better.

You may be asking yourself, where’s the cover? I came here to see a cover.

Okay, first, have I told you how nice your hair is looking today?

And second, the cover isn’t here.

CURE’s cover art is a little intense to take in all at once, so for everyone’s safety, I’ve divided it into nine pieces (er, pixels) and spread them across the internet.

WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS TO US?

To make a scavenger hunt, of course. What’s the use of a book about a kid going to video game rehab if there isn’t some gaming first?!

Also, this will be your chance to take in all of the juicy (potentially scandalous) details of the cover before it’s fully revealed.

The art is reminiscent of books like I Spy or Where’s Waldo, so this scavenger hunt will work just like that . . . except instead of finding a cats eye marble or some seemingly friendless chump in a red and white striped sweater, you’ll receive ACTUAL PRIZES.

ACTUAL PRIZES!

Five lucky winners will receive a signed ARC (advanced reading copy) of CURE FOR THE COMMON UNIVERSE (cover obscured for obvious reasons) AND an embroidery of one of the phrases from the book, hand stitched by the extremely talented Cotton Floozy.

GAH! I WANT THAT. HOW DO I WIN?

For every three things you discover hidden in the nine pixels and email to cmheidicker@gmail.com or message to C.M. Heidicker on Facebook, I’ll enter your name again . . . and again . . . and again. (There’s a lotta stuff on that cover.)

EXAMPLE:

Subject: Manic Pixel Scavenger Hunt

Dearest Christian,

I found:

1. A puppy made of garlic cloves
2. A bottomless bowl of undercooked breadsticks
3. A Christmas tree wearing lipstick
4. Amelia Earheart’s monocle
5. A bottomless bowl of overcooked breadsticks
6. A Who*

*(Objects not actually on cover, but no less interesting than what’s really on there.)

THAT’S IT!

So, no, the cover is not here. But fear not! Tomorrow, I’ll be posting their whereabouts on this blog and at www.cmheidicker.com. (You can also follow them with #cureforthecommonuniverse and #manicpixel.)

Tomorrow, the Manic Pixel Scavenger Hunt begins!

In the meantime, go check out the book on Goodreads!

Again, the cover is exquisitely complex, and in my personal opinion, AMAZING. It was designed by Greg Stadnyk with art by eboy (that of Miley Cyrus fame).

Prepare to be cured, June 2016.

A HISTORY OF GLITTER AND BLOOD by Hannah Moskowitz a “Can’t-Miss Galley” at BEA

[UPDATE: A HISTORY OF GLITTER AND BLOOD also made Publishers Marketplace’s YA Buzz-Books for BEA! – 5.22.]

Hannah’s NOT OTHERWISE SPECIFIED already made a few great lists this year. I’m so thrilled to see her utterly original and heartbreaking fantasy A HISTORY OF GLITTER AND BLOOD appearing on this Publishers Weekly list (in fine company I might add):

BEA 2015: Can’t-Miss Kids’ Galleys

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Check out A HISTORY OF GLITTER AND BLOOD on Goodreads and order it at Barnes & Noble, and Amazon.

Check out NOT OTHERWISE SPECIFIED on Goodreads and order it at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, andIndiebound.

Find out more about Hannah’s award winning novels on her website and follow her on twitter.