A Blog in the Life of Carolyn Mackler

Winter Escapes Widget

2010-02-08T06:40:00.001-08:00

Tangled party/signing on Jan 20th in NYC!

2010-01-06T16:41:00.001-08:00

Ten years ago, when my first novel came out, I had a book party at Bank Street Book Store in NYC. I wore black leather pants. And now - to celebrate the publication of my new book, Tangled - Bank Street is hosting another book party/signing/reading on Wednesday, January 20th from 5:30-6:45pm. Please join me there! I just had a baby seven weeks ago, so I most certainly won't be in leather pants. But this is a wonderful opportunity to ditch the elastic and break out a real pair of jeans.

We will have food, drinks, and many copies of Tangled for you to check out. This party is open to the public, so please spread the word and bring friends.

Here's all the info for the event.

Hope to see you there!

Tangled contest winners

2009-12-07T16:47:00.000-08:00

Thanks to all who entered the Tangled contest!

I drew four winners at random - congrats to Kayla from Pennsylvania, Brianna from California, Valerie from Texas, and Linda from New Jersey. I hope you all enjoy your signed advance copies of Tangled. They are in the mail today.

The real, hardcover, amazing-looking Tangled comes out on December 29, 2009. So save those holiday gift cards!

I maaaaaay have a few more advance copies of Tangled to give away. Stay tuned for another possible last-minute contest. And now I must go attend to my newborn son. And sleep.

Love,

Carolyn

The Contest: Win a signed advance copy of TANGLED

2009-10-28T16:54:00.001-07:00

Win a signed advance copy of TANGLED before it goes on sale December 29^th!

The info: My new novel, TANGLED, goes on sale on Tuesday, December 29^th, but I have FOUR advance copies that I’m ready to sign and give away. TANGLED is the story of four teenagers – Jena, Dakota, Skye, and Owen – who meet on a vacation and their lives are all changed forever because of it. There’s love, heartbreak, tragedy, betrayal, and redemption. Read more about TANGLED here.
How to enter:
Post about TANGLED coming out on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, or your blog. Be sure to mention the following FOUR things:

· Carolyn Mackler’s new novel, TANGLED

· On sale December 29

· www.carolynmackler.com

· Add the image featured above (the postcard for TANGLED).

Email me (carolyn@carolynmackler.com) the link to your posting and you will be entered in the contest. I will select FOUR winners at random - and then mail you signed advance copies of TANGLED!

When to win: Contest starts right now. Entries are due by November 29^th at 11:59PM (EST) - one month before TANGLED goes on sale.

What else? Participants must be age 14 and older. Anyone under 18 will require parental permission to receive a signed copy of TANGLED.

Coming soon: Win a signed advance copy of TANGLED!

2009-10-22T06:30:00.000-07:00

Win a signed advance copy of TANGLED before it goes on sale December 29^th!

My new novel, TANGLED, goes on sale on Tuesday, December 29^th, but I have FOUR advance copies that I’m ready to sign and give away. TANGLED is the story of four teenagers – Jena, Dakota, Skye, and Owen – who meet on a vacation and their lives are all changed forever because of it. There’s love, heartbreak, tragedy, betrayal, and some more love.

Check back next week for contest details!

grateful for my writer friends

2009-09-09T16:00:00.000-07:00

It's funny. Sometimes when I tell people about being a writer they ask me if it's really competitive and cutthroat with other authors, if we don't give away trade secrets to each other, etc. I'm always surprised by the question because the teen-author world is SO NOT THAT. I can't imagine a more supportive field. Last week, I had a lovely dinner with some great author friends - some I've been friends with for years and some I just met. It was one of those perfect warm NYC nights, an elegant restaurant, and eight of us gathered around the table talking about our kids, reality TV, and - yes - writing. Clockwise from top left: Sarah Mlynowsi, Julia Devillers, Coe Booth, Wendy Mass, Mariah Fredericks, E.R. Frank, me, E. Lockhart. If anyone got lost in that roundup of names, I'm in the center of the front row.

Thanks, friends! And thanks, Coe, for emailing us the picture. I had my camera, but the waiter held it upside down and couldn't ever find the button. Oh, well.

Love,
Carolyn

Tangled cover, Twitter, Facebook

2009-07-03T16:24:00.000-07:00

The most exciting news here is that I can now share the cover of my new novel, Tangled. Can I just say that I am SO EXCITED for Tangled to come out?! The release date is late December 2009 (just in time for you to use those holiday gift cards!). In a few months, I'll be having contests on this blog, so be sure to check back for your chance to win signed advance copies and signed hardcovers.

In the meantime, I am now on Twitter and I'm actually updating my Facebook page on a semi-regular basis. So if you want to hear about my sometimes-daily details, then friend me, follow me, all that good stuff.

I can't wait to hear your thoughts on the Tangled cover. I hope you love it as much as I do!

Love,
Carolyn

Guyaholic out in paperback!

2009-06-01T06:50:00.001-07:00

Have I mentioned that Guyaholic is out in paperback? No, of course I haven't! Because I'm a lousy blogger. Here's my problem with blogging (personally): I love reading other people's posts about their ups and downs, stresses and celebrations, movies tastes and recent reads. But I keep wondering - does anyone REALLY want to know what I did over the weekend (brunch with my family) or hear about the last movie I saw (Brothers Bloom)? Or know about the things that stress me out (no, you definitely don't!). And so I'm a slacker-blogger, totally envious of the other YA authors who blog so freely.

Maybe someday I'll spill. I'll definitely show up more as TANGLED (my new novel, HarperCollins, January 2010) gets closer to publication. But in the meantime, I'll excitedly share a great new review of Guyaholic from the blogs Library Thing and Good Reads:

http://my-book-views.blogspot.com/2009/05/review-guyaholic-by-carolyn-mackler.html

My husband is determined to get me onto Twitter, so maybe tweeting will come easier. Stay tuned....

Love,

Carolyn

signing in NYC on March 22

2009-03-09T06:45:00.000-07:00

So David Levithan, YA guru and all-around great guy, has organized a NYC Teen Author Festival this year (see schedule below). I'll be taking part in the The Biggest Teen Author Signing EVER on Sunday, March 22 at 4pm at Books of Wonder. Come on down (or up, over, across town)! If you don't see me near my stack of books, it's because I'm chasing down all my favorite YA authors for signatures of my own.

Check out the schedule below. Wow.

Love,
C

Juvenalia Smackdown Monday, 3/16, 4-6pm, Tompkins Square Park branch of the NYPL, 331 E. 10th Street Join Holly Black, Alaya Johnson, Justine Larbalestier, David Levithan, Diana Peterfruend, Scott Westerfeld as they read some of their (ahem) less accomplished work from their middle school and high school years. Hosted by Libba Bray.

I Have Seen the Future…and It Sounds Like This Wednesday, 3/18, Mulberry Street Branch of the NYPL Teen authors are notoriously stingy about reading from their works-in-progress. But for Guest of Honor Joe Monti, authors Libba Bray, Rachel Cohn, Eireann Corrigan, Justine Larbalestier, Barry Lyga, and Scott Westerfeld are willing to share a little bit from their future books. Hosted by David Levithan.

The Five-Borough Read Thursday, 3/19 BROOKLYN: Central Library, Dweck Center, 10 Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn 10-11am Gayle Forman Jenny Han Leslie Margolis Abby Sher Matthue Roth Robin Wasserman BRONX: Bronx Library Center, 310 E. Kingsbridge Road, Bronx 4-5pm Coe Booth Madeleine George Paul Griffin Brian Sloan Melissa Walker MANHATTAN: Countee Cullen Branch, 104 W 136th St 4-5pm Matt de la Pena Daphne Grab Mary Hogan Bill Konigsburg Barry Lyga Carolyn MacCullough MANHATTAN: Jefferson Market Branch, 425 Avenue of the Americas 4-5pm David Levithan Bennett Madison Laura McLaughlin Billy Merrell Marie Rutkoski MANHATTAN: Webster Branch, 1465 York Avenue 4-5pm Lisa Ann Sandell Courtney Sheinmel Rachel Vail Cecily Von Ziegesar Martin Wilson QUEENS: Far Rockaway Branch, 2002 Cornaga Ave, Queens 4-5pm Tara Altebrando Laura Dower Heather Duffy-Stone Aimee Friedman Eliot Schrefer Siobhan Vivian Rita Williams-Garcia STATEN ISLAND: St. George Library Center, 5 Central Avenue 4-5pm Kate Brian Judy Goldschmidt Michael Northrop Micol Ostow Lynn Weingarten

Rock Out with TIGER BEAT! Thursday, 3/19, 6pm at Books of Wonder By day, Libba Bray, Daniel Ehrenhaft, Barney Miller, and Natalie Standiford are upstanding authors. But by night, they turn into … TIGER BEAT, the first ever YA author rock band. Tonight is their debut public performance … and it’s sure to go down in legend. With opening act The Infinite Playlists (Rachel Cohn and David Levithan reading a litany of musical references, but mercifully not singing).

I Love You, New York: Teen Lit in the City Friday, 3/20, 6pm, NYPL, 42nd Street, Court Room Join authors Coe Booth, Paul Griffin, Maureen Johnson, David Levithan, Cecily von Ziegesar, and Rita Williams-Garcia in a spirited reading and discussion about teen novels set in New York City – from the glamour of the gossip girls to the grit of the Bronx projects, from the everyday battles of the high school halls to the extraordinary events of 9/11.

Stuff for the Teen Age Ceremony Saturday, 3/21, 1pm, NYPL, 42nd Street, Celeste Bartos Forum This new list only has the best of the best, and includes books, music, movies, and video games. Featuring a keynote by Walter Dean Myers

Teen Authors Celebrate Teen Readers Sunday, 3/22, NYPL, 42nd Street, Trustees Room, 1pm Over a dozen authors salute teen readers and teen advisory board members from around the city, including Blake Nelson, reading from his upcoming novel Destroy All Cars.

The Biggest Teen Author Signing EVER Sunday, 3/22, Books of Wonder, 4pm Join over 40 authors for a signing extravaganza as they take over Books of Wonder, sign books, and converse with fans new and old. An incredible event that is sure to go down in book-signing history. Authors include: Nora Baskin Jessica Blank Judy Blundell Coe Booth Elise Broach Susanne Colasanti Sarah Darer-Littman Matt de la Pena Heather Duffy-Stone Gayle Forman Aimee Friedman Madeleine George Maureen Johnson Kristen Kemp Justine Larbalestier David Levithan E. Lockhart Barry Lyga Carolyn Mackler Sarah MacLean Megan McCafferty Laura McLaughlin Neesha Meminger Billy Merrell Blake Nelson Micol Ostow Matthue Roth Marie Rutkoski Lisa Ann Sandell Courtney Sheinmel Abby Sher Brian Sloan Rachel Vail David Van Etten Ned Vizzini Adrienne Maria Vrettos Cecily von Ziegesar Melissa Walker Robin Wasserman Scott Westerfeld Suzanne Weyn Maryrose Wood Lizabeth Zindel

Why I'm a Really Bad Blogger

2008-05-12T16:45:00.000-07:00

Actually, I can't even call myself a blogger because I NEVER WRITE!

I just looked up and realized it's been, like, over five months since I've posted a blog entry. Whoa, where have I been? And why am I such a blog-absentee (blabsentee?). Well, here goes:

1. I've been working on my new novel. I LOVE IT. More on that soon. (Funny, some characters in my novel are bloggers and THEY keep up). Oh, well.

2. I've been trying to cook more. It just feels good, you know? I'm a vegetarian, so I've become obsessed with roasting vegetables. I seriously think my roasted vegetables rock.

3. I've been spending quality time with my husband and son. We went on a vacation recently. We go for walks. We go out to eat. We bond. They beg for non-roasted vegetables.

4. I've been reading. Yes, reading. I was asked to be a judge for this year's National Book Award!!! For the young people's literature category, of course. Between now and September I'll be reading about 250 books. My head spins with the math (250? 250?) but I'm actually having a blast with the reading.

So there's my teeny little update. Hopefully it won't take me five months to write another.

Love,
Carolyn

NYC signing, ummm, tomorrow

2007-11-30T17:41:00.000-08:00

Okay, I'll admit it. I've been woefully absent from the blogosphere. But I have good reason! I'm hard at work on my new book. Yes, I'm really doing it. I'm halfway through and aiming to finish a draft by January. Wish me luck!

So I've come up for air to say two things: First, thanks to all of you who are writing to tell me that you love Guyaholic! You have no idea how much that means to me.

And also, I'm signing at a Barnes and Noble in New York City's Greenwich Village tomorrow (Saturday, December 1) at 3pm. If you're in the neighborhood and feel like saying hi, please drop by! I'm signing as part of this Behind the Book event - great organization that brings authors into underprivileged schools. All book sales tomorrow benefit Behind the Book. Here are the details:

Barnes & Noble, Greenwich Village location -396 Ave of the Americas at 8th Street

Hope to see some NYC readers tomorrow!

Love,
Carolyn

Flavorite Authors

2007-10-22T16:45:00.000-07:00

Hey there-

Thanks to all of you who came out to see me at Borders last Monday. It was a lively event - and I even got to read from my boy-crazy journal from junior year of high school. I read the actual guys' names, too! I wonder what would happen if one of them ever knew I was reading about them? Did they know I had a crush on them? Would I be humiliated? Probably.

Some exciting news here:

1. Tomorrow (Tuesday) night, I'm taking part in the Readergirlz 31 Flavorite Authors for Teens. It's my night, everyone! That means between 8-9pm EST, I'll be chatting live on Readergirlz Myspace group forum. To visit, click here or go to http://www.myspace.com/readergirlz and follow the directions. Hope to see you tomorrow!

2. I just found out today that Guyaholic has been nominated for an ALA Best Books for Young Adults. Keep your fingers crossed! We find out in January.

3. Women's eNews ran a huge lead story on censorship in teen lit today and guess who is featured as a big banned author? Wow. Check it out here. If you didn't already feel strongly about reading banned books, you will now.

Speaking of: yay for J.K. Rowling's revelation that Dumbledore is gay. May this teach tolerance, acceptance....and also show how much freakin' backstory an author writes that never actually appears in a book.

Love,
Carolyn

NYC signing on Monday, October 15!

2007-10-11T12:04:00.000-07:00

Hi all-

First of all, I apologize for the complete and total silence. I've been on a book deadline (still on it), so whenever I have a moment to write, I work on the novel. The book is due in January. Then I'll have a lot more time. Then maybe I'll get some new clothes, too. I've been wearing the SAME pair of jeans all fall.

In much more exciting news, I will be reading from/signing Guyaholic on Monday, October 15 at 6pm at Borders Columbus Circle in NYC.

http://www.shopsatcolumbuscircle.com/scs/user/eventDetails.aspx?EventID=EV-00587

The very best part is that I'll be appearing with three of my all-time favorite authors: Megan McCafferty (Fourth Comings) and Rachel Cohn & David Levithan (Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List). So please come out and see us and say hi and ask lots of questions. If you can't find me, that's because I'll be waiting in line to get books signed by Megan, Rachel, and David.

Hope to see my New York readers on Monday! And now, back to writing...

Love,
Carolyn

The BannedWagon

2007-09-20T12:35:00.000-07:00

Hey there! Sorry for the blogging delay. I've been working on my new novel. I've promised my editor I'll have 50 pages to her by October 10th (I say as I do the Edvard Munch "Scream" thing).

Aaaaaah.

So I'm in total writing mode. In the old days, before I had a child, I used to Go Underground (no email, no phone, no life) when I was working on a book. But now it's much harder to escape like that. So I'm trying to maintain a bit more of a balance these days. Brush hair. Wear clean jeans. Make sure my son eats fruits and veggies. Things like that.

Plus, there's Banned Book Week coming up: September 29-October 6, 2007!

As some of you may know, The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things was the fourth most challenged book in the USA last year. Since I'm completely opposed to kicking books out of schools and libraries, I respond to every invitation to speak about being a banned author. So my next big stop on the BannedWagon is Chicago!

As If! (Authors Support Intellectual Freedom) has posted a link to another great YouTube ad about Chicago right here:

And here's something funny. My husband just emailed me this article today. It sounds like the author thinks The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things should win an award for being the banned book with the best title. Hmmmmm.

And, finally, I was delighted and thrilled to see that Guyaholic was reviewed in the New York Times Book Review this past weekend. Here's my favorite line:

"Mackler's unsentimental feel for how kids think and talk, and how they go about entering the grown-up world, makes V's journey engrossing."

And speaking of novels, I need a teensy bit of help for my new one. If you have a favorite quote about anything (life, love, inspiration, heartbreak), email it to me: carolyn@carolynmackler.com That's all I'll say for now. Oh, and thanks!

Love,
Carolyn

MeTube

2007-09-12T17:50:00.000-07:00

I'm now on YouTube! Yes, my very first YouTube appearance (at least as far as I know...). Last week, I got an email from the American Library Association asking if I'd film a commercial for them promoting this amazing Banned Book Read-Out event in Chicago on September 29. I will be there - along with several other banned authors - reading from our scandalous books. I seriously do not understand this, but The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things was the 4th most challenged book in America in 2006. I was SHOCKED when I found out because I get so many emails from readers telling me that my book helped them feel better about themselves, stop hurting their bodies, etc. Who'd want to ban that?

So of course my inner diva freaked out and was like OF COURSE I'LL FILM A COMMERCIAL FOR YOU!!! But then real life hit and I realized we don't have a video camera. I borrowed one from my friend Jhoanna, but at the last minute my husband did it with our digital camera. It took a lot of takes because, even though I'm an inner diva, I'm a dork in real life and have very little camera-ready poise. For the first few takes, according to Jonas, I was batting my head this way and that (huh?). So then I tried to fuse my skull to my neck, but then I cracked up because our son was talking in the background. FINALLY we got something passable:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=px07Pr05UUk

So there's my debut on YouTube (that's our bookshelf in the background).

In other news, Guyaholic is going to get a small (but very cool!) review in the New York Times Book Review this weekend! Yahoooooo. I will try not to bat my head too much.

Love,

Carolyn

Guyaholic reading tomorrow in NYC

2007-09-04T13:20:00.000-07:00

We're back from a lovely and relaxing vacation in the Adirondacks where I swam, read, cooked, and did absolutely no work on my new book. And I'm totally stressing about it because I have so many ideas...I just need to find the time to write. I'm waiting for those wide open stretches time that I used to have pre-baby, but that's ancient history. Phew. Wish me luck.

The big and exciting news around our house (well, apartment...but we call it a house) is that my son is starting a new pre-pre-school tomorrow morning. He has new sneakers and a new haircut and he's very excited to see what toys will be in store for him. I get to attend WITH him for the first few days! So exciting. I love watching him do his thing in the world.

And then, after a morning in pre-pre-school, we're headed to my dad's apartment (not sure why, but I never call this one a house). He lives nearby and he's going to rescue us tomorrow because we have a contractor tearing apart our bedroom. And then, after a packed afternoon, I'm going to un-frizz my hair and dig through my backpack for something clean to wear (yes, I'm living out of a backpack tomorrow) and hand off my son to my husband and then I'm scurrying to a downtown train bound for...

My First NYC Reading of Guyaholic!!

Yes, it is THE MOST HECTIC DAY IN THE WORLD. My head spins just thinking about it. And, typical me, I keep wondering how/where I'll be able to eat. But I guess the good news is that I'm not obsessing (too much) about the Guyaholic reading. If I think about it I'll get nervous, butterflies, the whole thing. I'll wonder what I should wear (cool jeans and a top? new brown dress?). And I'll wonder, even after seven years and four books, what to say BEFORE I begin reading. "Hi, I'm Carolyn?" (they know I'm Carolyn). "Hey, y'all?" (I'm so not southern). "Howdy, this here is my new book" (Duh). Hopefully I'll think of something between now and tomorrow. If you have a good idea, email me, okay?

FYI, if you live in NYC and want to come to the reading, here are the details:

Wednesday, September 5 - Teen Author Reading Night (6-7:30, the Tompkins Square Branch of the NYPL, 331 E. 10th Street, off of Ave B)

Okay, off to dig through piles for the new brown dress (or cool jeans and a top?). I'll let you know what I decide.

Love,
Carolyn

PS Speaking of NYC events, I'd like to put in an extra-special plug for my extra-special friend, Megan McCafferty, author of the bestselling Fourth Comings. She'll be reading/speaking/signing in NYC on Thursday, September 6 (6-8pm Borders, Columbus Circle). For more info on Megan's event, check out www.meganmccafferty.com. I'll be there too!

Glamorous Guyaholic, Unglamorous Me

2007-08-24T06:33:00.000-07:00

Well, it's finally out! After three years, a new baby, and a zillion drafts, Guyaholic is finally in stores. Of course, it's been such a busy week that I've had yet to see it in a store myself, but I've been hearing word from various friends and family members that it's on shelves. And everyone has been so very kind as to turn it face out on the shelf or, in the case of my stepsister, to carry Guyaholic across Borders and place it prominently in the window (thanks, Alison!).

It's so exciting to have this new book out. I took a long break to parent my little guy and, while it was so fulfilling, I missed being in the book world. And it's great to be hearing from my readers again. If you want to read more about Guyaholic, go to Teen Reads . They have a feature on it/me today! Also, check out Glamour's blog for a very cool mention of Guyaholic. Since I spend most of my days in shorts and T's, my hair in a messily unglamorous ponytail, I'm flattered to be mentioned on this site.

My husband, son, and I are headed to a cabin in the Adirondacks for the week (fingers crossed for warm weather). No phone, no computer...I don't even think we'll have cell phone access. I'm bringing an empty notebook to fill with ideas for my new book. I went to the library and took out The Book Thief and some An Na books and I have Love, Stargirl, too. Definitely going to catch up on some reading. And did I mention there's a rowboat there? It's been such a hectic summer...all I really want is to paddle out to the middle of the lake and sit in silence.

I'll write again when we get back to New York City. In the meantime, I can't wait to hear what you think of Guyaholic. And if you see it in on a shelf, turn it face out for me!

Love,
Carolyn