Tag : Changing Hands

Coming up…

Posted by tomleveen at 10:18 am

First order of business:  Be careful out there this holiday season.  Seriously.  The latest-greatest whatnots aren’t worth a car wreck or getting trampled on.  Are we cool?  Cool.

Next item up for bid, I have a new/additional blog at http://tomleveen.livejournal.com/.  The blog you’re reading right now? Semi-professional.  The Livejournal? Not so much.  That’s all I’m sayin’.

Many fun appearances coming up!  Barnes & Noble Desert Ridge on Nov. 30 at 6 pm with the always-amazing Lisa McMann, for a fundraiser for a local high school.  Much Fun! 

Next, Palamino Library here in Scottsdale teaching a writing class.  That’s December 3 at 230 pm. 

After that, another writing class at Civic Center Library in Scottsdale on Dec. 6 at 4 pm.

And don’t forget YAllapalooza at Changing Hands on January 29!  Oh-Em-Gee, so much fun, you don’t even KNOW.

Okay-doke, I’m neck deep in revisions for, at last count, three books, so…see ya soon?

~ Tom

Looking back, looking ahead

Posted by tomleveen at 4:05 pm

So the Glendale B&N was sweet.  I got to touch base with old friends and new babies (who were very helpful during the event).  The B&N was beautiful (see photo), and I was thrilled to hang out with some awesome people whom I love a lot.  Thanks to all of you who made it out!

I’ve got some other local (AZ) appearances coming up: Monday night at 630 at Changing Hands teaching a seminar on publishing a YA novel, and a PARTY book discussion on July 18 at 1 pm, also at Changing Hands.  Both events are free, but the seminar requires registration.  I have plans to also be in Las Cruces and Silver City NM in August.  I really should get busy on visiting some other states (I’ve had requests for Florida and NY so far), except for this whole “flying” thing.  Not my cup o’ travel.  That may be changing soon whether I like it or not…

In looking ahead, I have superawesome news that I can’t wait to share, but have to hold back a little longer.  Hopefully, that’ll get worked out by next week.  Meanwhile, I’m dabbling with, at last count:

• a YA science fiction;
• a YA supernatural;
• a MG adventure;
• and a YA contemporary. 

This does not include the MG contemporary which is out for revisions right now.  Which of these, if any, will stick to the wall, I don’t know.  But then, that’s part of the fun.  Which of these sounds most promising?  Drop me an email or message me on FB.

Also, I start summer school on Tuesday.  That should actually be very cool.

Our Huntington Beach vacation was pretty sweet–I even got my bad self into the wild and wasteful ocean.

Hope and I discuss the ramifications of globalization on ... actually, I think we're just talking about lunch.

So it’s been a pretty laid back yet productive summer so far, and it’s only July. 

Have a good summer, stay safe, and we’ll compare notes later.

See ya!

What they don’t tell you…

Posted by tomleveen at 9:50 pm

…about publishing a YA novel is how many other wickedcool YA authors you get to meet.

So YAllapalooza was awesome.  Not only did I sign my first book EVER (thanks, Maitlin! Also, stealing your name for a book someday), but I got to meet a group of YA authors from AZ and L.A. who rock.  Got to sign books (2 ARC’s), posters, t-shirts…and a guy could get used to this. (Here’s hoping!)

Also met teachers, librarians, reviewers, and of course the kickass staff of Changing Hands. Can’t say enough about that store.  They get it.  And they really do want to bring books, authors, and readers together, and they do a great job of it.

Special thanks to my ever-amazing wife and getting an unexpected plug on the radio, and to all my kids who came out to support me, CH, YA lit, and PARTY.  And if you made it to YAllapalooza, thanks for coming out!  Hope you had as good a time as I did.

Meanwhile, with any luck, Book 2 will be pitched sometime in the near future, and my first MG novel lands in Ms. Agent’s hands for perusal.  Here’s me sweating profusely.  First crack at MG.

Next event…APRIL 27.  That’s right, the big PARTY release, also at Changing Hands.   I’m taking suggestions on where I should take Joy for dinner afterward.