My book won a gold medal for Best Regional Fiction, U.S. North-East in the 2010 IPPY awards! Here is a list of the other winners. And here is a list of the winners of the outstanding books of the year. So happy 🙂
THANK YOU!
Thank you so much to everyone who showed up last night for my little book celebration party! And as well to those who couldn’t come but who were there in spirit 🙂 I’m so very grateful to have such wonderful longtime personal friends as well as newer-ish Facebook and blog reader friends and Tweeps with whom to celebrate such things. And, as always, I’m immensely grateful for everyone’s support. Thank you, you guys!
Photo taken by my good friend and fellow writer, Ariel Davis.
SWALLOW NAMED FINALIST IN 2010 IPPYS
So psyched! My novel is a finalist in this year’s IPPY Awards, in the regional fiction division. I’m psyched both because, if the entrants mean anything (and I’m sure they do), this is a pretty prestigious contest for indie publishers (just scroll down to the Literary Fiction division, for starters – I mean, Matterhorn guy is there for cry eye! And the highly regarded indie publisher Other Press has a bunch of finalists, McSweeney’s has one in the Popular Fiction category, Rachel Kramer-Bussel, the queen of erotica, is in the Erotica division, etc. etc.). I’m also happy because I’m in the race for a regional award. I tried to make New York a real character in the story as much as the human characters and I feel my book is as much a New York novel as it is one about a young woman with Globus Hystericus. This makes me feel I kinda succeeded in doing that (at least in someone’s estimation 🙂 ).
I really really wanted an IPPY! And I really wanted to be in the running in ForeWord’s BOTYA (btw, here is a pic of my little ole book in their display at the recent London Book Fair — I’m on middle shelf all the way at the end). So, I am very happy right now — particularly after getting T-rashed by one reviewer — which put me in a blue funk for days… More on that to come!
Book publicity stuff and planning for the party tonight have put me behind on dance reviews (4 to be exact — Luciana Achugar’s rather eerie Puro Deseo at the Kitchen, the birth of a compelling new modern dance company – DeMa — which took place on Thursday night at the Alvin Ailey Citigroup Theatre, and two NYCB performances). I promise to try to get to them tomorrow afternoon and Monday.
THE LEGACY OF LUCIA CHASE ON WNYC
Listen to Alex C. Ewing, the son of Lucia Chase, founder of American Ballet Theater, discuss his mother’s legacy with Kevin McKenzie and Leonard Lopate on WNYC here. Ewing’s enlightening biography of his mother came out late last year and is part of ABT’s celebration of its 70th anniversary this year.
SWALLOW BOOK PUB PARTY
On Saturday May 8th from 7-10 p.m. I’ll be having a little book launch party at the Bowery Wine Company. I guess it’s not really a launch party though, since the book has been out for a few months now. But I hate cold weather and wanted to wait for warmth, especially since BWC has a nice little outdoor area. So, a book publishing party then.
I can sign books if you have a physical copy (someone asked me how authors will sign digital books if all books are digital in the future, and it’s a good question that I don’t have the answer to…) and I’ll have a few for sale (cash only though). But just come and hang out and say hi and have a drink. BWC has a good wine list and a full bar and they have good little snacky things too like thin crust pizza. We’ll be in the lounge area.
BWC by the way is in the East Village, on First Street between Bowery and Second Avenue. Here’s a map.
Hope to see you all there! And if you’re going away for Mother’s Day, I’ll probably have another party a little later, especially if the book wins more awards 🙂
Photo above by Jeff Gurwin, from Time Out NY.
HONEY NOTES, TEES AND TOTES AT THE HONEY SHOP
I recently came across this author, Maria Murnane, and her book, Perfect on Paper: the (Mis)Adventures of Waverly Bryson, when I was researching indie-published book award contests (Murnane won a load of them, before being picked up by Amazon Encore, Amazon’s new publishing house).
It’s a really lovely book, sweet and funny with a cast of characters who are definitely very relatable — the annoying guy who just seems to be everywhere you are, the bitchy competitive co-worker who seems intent on stealing your job, the hot guy in whose presence you just can’t seem not to make an ass of yourself, etc. After being jilted at the altar by her fiance, Waverly sets out on a series of hilariously bad dates in an attempt to overcome her heartbreak and find that ever-elusive Mr. Right. But in the process, she finds herself instead.
Of course there are lots of bad date / overcoming evil ex novels, but what’s original here is Waverly’s knack for coming up with clever little sayings, sometimes darkly comical, that speak well to the single urban career girl, such as, “Ever had to work with a total nightmare? Honey, just wait until the company holiday party. We’ll see who’s all alone in the corner.” And, “Not everyone can have a cookie-cutter family, right? Honey, I’d cut your losses and settle for the cookies.” Waverly eventually creates a line of greeting cards bearing said clever sayings, and voila, her real calling emerges. Also, Waverly works in sports PR (as did Murnane — I like it when authors put their job details into their books; you can learn a lot about other walks of life that way) so there are some interesting, amusing scenes about the sports world — making this a book not only for women, but for men as well.
Basically, a great summer beach / plane / park / outdoor cafe — wherever you read when it’s warm out — read. (Above, my copy at Tatiana’s on Brighton Beach, where I always celebrate the first warm day of the year with red caviar and champagne.) And you get a lot of double-takes with this book in your hands, I’ve found. People are like, “What’s that?” Kind of fun reading something only available on Amazon!
Now, Murnane has her own line of the “Honey Notes” out, available in her Honey Shop, along with t-shirts and tote bags. C’est unique!
SWALLOW IS A GOLD MEDALIST!
In Independent Publisher‘s Living Now Book Awards, in the category of Women’s Fiction. I’m so happy! Happy Earth Day, everyone!
Also, check out the other medalists — in all the categories, but particularly in my own. Stressed in Scottsdale by Marcia Fine and Shaken and Stirred by Crystal Black Davis both look very entertaining as well as enlightening. And Stressed is set in my old neck of the woods!
Independently published and small press-published books face an enormous uphill battle both in the marketplace and in terms of gaining acceptance within the greater publishing industry (despite the fact that a small press novel won this year’s Pulitzer). I’m immensely grateful to publications like Independent Publisher and ForeWord, and Amazon’s Breakthrough Novel Award (open for the first time this year to self-published books) for their invaluable recognition and support.
FOREWORD, SMASHWORDS, AND SHE-WRITES
Swallow received a positive review in ForeWord Reviews this week, which made me very very happy. ForeWord is an industry magazine, specializing in independently-published books and is read by librarians and booksellers and the like. The reviewer called me an “exuberant writer” — both in the book and here on my blog! Hehehe, no, really?!?! 🙂 I so love the last sentence.
Also, I’ve made the book available on Smashwords, which is an e-book seller and distributor. I know lots of people don’t have a Kindle and some were having problems downloading the Kindle ap to their computers or iphones, etc., so on Smashwords it is available in a variety of formats for virtually any kind of e-reader, including your computer. It’s been approved for the Apple iPad and should be on that soon. And pricing is the same as on the Amazon Kindle.
Finally, on Thursday night the newish writer organization SheWrites had its first NYC get-together, at the chi chi Marc Forgione bar and restaurant in TriBeCa. Huge turnout! I got a t-shirt (above) since I was one of the first five to arrive. And those of us who’ve published did a book exchange. So, I ended up making off with two books — The Last Bridge, a really intense-looking novel by Teri Coyne, and The Futurist’s Mistress, a book of poetry (which I don’t read nearly enough of) by Lorraine Schein. If you’re a writer (you don’t need to be published and you don’t need to be female; you just need to be supportive of women’s writing) I recommend joining. It’s free and fun and there are great networking and socializing opportunities.
SWALLOW IS A FINALIST IN THE LIVING NOW BOOK AWARDS
My novel has just been named a finalist in the Living Now Book Awards, in the category of Women’s Fiction. This is a new contest (last year was its first year; this is the first year they’ve accepted fiction) run by Independent Publisher, a literary review devoted to indie publishers. These awards recognize “lifestyle” books intended for the North American market that “enhance the quality of our lives” and help us to live better. (Click on the above link to see other finalists in other categories.) Winners will be announced on Earth Day, April 22nd, and awards will be given on May 25th at Book Expo America, held this year here in NYC.
May 25th at BEA is going to be a big day for me: in addition to this award, the winners of ForeWord Magazine‘s Book of the Year Award will be announced as will the finalists in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award. It’s going to be my first time attending a book expo and I’m really excited about it! Will def do a lot of live Tweeting from the expo!
SMALL WORLD: BORREE'S CORNERS, ARIZONA!
You guys, last week I received this really sweet email from a woman who read my novel. I figured ballet lovers, particularly fans of New York City Ballet, would appreciate it:
“Hello.  I hope you don’t mind me writing.  But  as your email address is listed, I shall write you.
“I first came across you by cruising the Internet and bought your book, Swallow, because my dad’s family, Borree, lived in Florence AZ. Â There is even a Borree’s Corners in AZ where the family owned a gas station and a grocery store.
“My thoughts about  your book.  I love NYC, and I have suffered from chronic anxiety all my life til treatment with medication.  So your  book was really greatly appreciated.  I do wonder how you settled on using Florence.
“You may recognize the last name as my mother loved ballet and gave my sister, Susan Borree, ballet classes. Â Susan was with many different companies and her daughter is Yvonne.
“Out here on the other coast, I have a scholarship to benefit art students. Â The scholarship is in honor of my mother and my sister who gave their children art and ballet lessons while their families faced great difficulties.
“Sincerely,
Jeanine Borree”
How coincidental — I love Yvonne Borree! And how much do I love that her aunt wrote me 🙂 And so excited to learn that part of her family hails from Arizona — and the same small town I wrote about no less — and that there is a Borree’s Corners, Arizona, which of course I will have to look for the next time I am out there. And I love that they owned a gas station and grocery store. I also love that someone who’s suffered from an anxiety disorder appreciated my book, which centers on a specific anxiety disorder called Globus Hystericus, or Globus Sensation. I’ve heard from some people who have either Globus or problems swallowing that emanate from another condition that they’ve had a hard time reading Swallow, because it’s too close to home. So, I’m very glad to hear someone with another kind of anxiety was able to read and appreciate it.
When I asked Ms. Borree if I could mention the email on my blog and she wrote back, she added that her sister, Susan Borree (Yvonne’s mother) had danced with ABT and Jerome Robbins Ballet. I came to ballet too late, though, to see her dance with either company.
Anyway, I just wanted to share this with my readers since I know so many of you are NYCB fans:)Â Sweet story, and small world, right!
SWALLOW IS A QUARTERFINALIST IN THE AMAZON BREAKTHROUGH NOVEL AWARD!
You guys! My novel is a quarterfinalist in this year’s Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award in the adult fiction category! That means you can download an excerpt here for free (you don’t need a Kindle, you can download right onto your computer), read it and (I think) rate it and comment on it. Please please please please do! I am told there will be a Publishers Weekly review up there soon. Yikes!
Also I would ever ever ever so greatly appreciate if anyone who’s already bought the book and read it (you wonderful wonderful people!) and emailed / Facebook messaged / Twitter DM’d me with their comments, if you would please write a little review with those comments on the book’s main Amazon page, here. If you can’t remember what you said, please email me and I’ll send you your email — I have them all saved, believe me 😀
This is so cool — am very excited; the pool of applicants was originally 10,000 (evenly divided between adult and young adult), then narrowed down to 2,000 and now narrowed to 500. So I’m up against 250 others in the adult fiction category. This is a huge award and of course I’d be silly to get my hopes up too high – being a quarterfinalist makes me extremely happy!
But it’s fun ‘cuz now everyone can participate in my book in a way, and in the general contest. Again, go here to see my book’s excerpt, and go here to see the others in my category, and here for all categories (look on left-hand side of screen). And of course my book in full is still available for purchase – for $3.99 on Kindle and $14.99 (or cheaper if used)Â in paperback.
Thank you so much you guys!
SWALLOW IS A BOTYA FINALIST
You guys! My book is a ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year Award finalist!