Colleen Clayton

Ohioana News

Colleen Clayton — Tue, 14 May 2013 02:22:17 +0000

I went to the Ohioana Book Festival this past weekend and it was amazing! So many wonderful readers, educators, and fellow authors were there. I participated in a lively panel discussion about teen literature and enjoyed signing books alongside my buddies Leah Clifford, Rae Carson, and Kristina McBride. I also was able to see my fellow NEOMFA alumni pal Karen Kotrba. Her book of poetry SHE WHO IS LIKE A MARE was recently published by Bottom Dog Press. I think the highlight of the festival was getting to know the lovely Julia DeVillers, middle grade author of the just released TRIPLE TROUBLE (and a ton of other great MG books…) We were each others “date” for an author reception at the Governor’s mansion after the festival. It was a last-minute “blind date” of sorts as we didn’t know each other before this weekend but I had a really good time talking and laughing and eating fancy hors d’oeuvres with her. I would definitely date her again.

Wish me luck for the Ohioana Award…WHAT HAPPENS NEXT is a finalist! Fingers crossed!

Teen Lit Panel at Ohioana

Me, making my point (whatever it was…) Ohioana 2013

NEOMFA Represents!

Fellow alumni Karen Kotrba and myself

YA Girl Powah!

(The YA Girl Power was so purely concentrated in this moment that it formed a blinding Halo of Awesome. Poor Mindee had to shut her eyes momentarily to take it all in…)

Top left to right: Leah Clifford, Laura Bickle, Rae Carson, Mindee Arnett, Liz Coley

Bottom left to right: Colleen Clayton, Julia DeVillers, Kristina McBride

OHIOANA BOOK FESTIVAL

Colleen Clayton — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 15:01:38 +0000

JOIN ME!

When: Saturday, May 11th! Doors open at 10:00 am.

I’ll be signing all day and then participating in a “Books for Teens” panel

at 2:00pm with Kristina McBride, Julia DeVillers, and other great authors!

Where: Fort Hayes Metropolitan Center in Columbus, Ohio

More info at www.ohioanabookfestival.org

Giveaway!

Colleen Clayton — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 20:27:49 +0000

As part of Sexual Assault Awareness Month I am hosting a Facebook giveaway of a signed and annotated copy of WHAT HAPPENS NEXT (plus 10 bookmarkers) along with a signed paperback of Kristina McBride’s THE TENSION OF OPPOSITES. You can enter the giveaway by clicking here!

Publishers Weekly Cameo!

Colleen Clayton — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 15:20:06 +0000

The Good Girls & Bad Boys in YA Contemporary Panel got a little shout-out from Publishers Weekly this past week! The title of the piece is called “Good Handwriting” and here’s the link!

“YA authors (l.) Colleen Clayton (What Happens Next, Little, Brown/Poppy), (r.) Kristina McBride (One Moment, Egmont USA), Tiffany Schmidt (Send Me A Sign, Walker), and Katie McGarry (Pushing the Limits, Harlequin Teen) visited Cover to Cover Books in Columbus, Ohio, for a panel discussion and signing called “Good Girls and Bad Boys in YA.” The four also signed the store’s author wall, which has been at the current location for 16 years. The original wall, now in storage, had been in the shop’s previous space since 1981.” —(Publishers Weekly, March 21, 2013)

Reader’s Guide

Colleen Clayton — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 19:42:24 +0000

At the request of several teachers and book clubs I have FINALLY put together a reader’s guide for WHAT HAPPENS NEXT. It contains author insights (common questions answered) along with examination of some literary elements of the text. I’ve also included a Further Reading section if you’d like to check out some of the scholarly articles that I read while writing the book. It closes with 10 open-ended questions that one might present to a classroom or book club in order to facilitate a meaningful discussion of the book.

Best Panel EVER

Colleen Clayton — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 13:23:11 +0000

Hey, everyone! I participated in a wonderful panel and signing last week at Cover to Cover Children’s Bookstore in Columbus, Ohio! Tiffany Schmidt, Kristina McBride, Katie McGarry and I had an amazing discussion with audience members and I learned so much about these lovely ladies and their books. The theme was “Good Girls and Bad Boys in YA Contemporary” and it was a blast. Here are some photos from the event:

Me, Kristina, Tiffany and Katie in front of the Author Wall of Fame at Cover to Cover!

Lunch at Aladdin’s! (Look who stopped by to support us: YA Authors Scott Tracey, Leah Clifford, and Jody Casella!)

The lovely Tiffany Schmidt’s first trip to Ohio! Went to the hotspot neighborhood of The Short North for after-panel ice-cream at Jeni’s!

Tiffany and me enjoying some Jeni’s! I got the triple scoop sampler: Absinthe and Meringue, Goat Cheese and Cherries, Riesling Poached Pear. So. Freaking. Good.

Good Girls and “Bad” Boys in YA Contemporary—Author Panel and Signing!

Colleen Clayton — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 01:27:19 +0000

Saturday, March 9th 1-3pm

COVER TO COVER BOOKSTORE, Columbus, Ohio

“Good Girls and Bad Boys in YA Contemporary” Author panel discussion and signing with Colleen Clayton (WHAT HAPPENS NEXT), Kristina McBride (ONE MOMENT), Katie McGarry (PUSHING THE LIMITS) and Tiffany Schmidt (SEND ME A SIGN).

UPCOMING APPEARANCES!

Colleen Clayton — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 19:58:39 +0000

2013

Saturday, February 2nd, 1pm-4pm, BARNES & NOBLE in Youngstown, Ohio

Local Author Signing with Colleen Clayton (WHAT HAPPENS NEXT), Scott Tracey (WITCH EYES series), Leah Clifford (A TOUCH series), Lisa and Laura Roecker (THE LIAR SOCIETY series). Simultaneous bookfair to benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Mahoning Valley.

To RSVP, join the Facebook page for this event!

Saturday, March 9th, 1-3pm, COVER TO COVER BOOKSTORE in Columbus, Ohio

“Good Girls and Bad Boys in YA Contemporary” Author signing and panel discussion with Colleen Clayton (WHAT HAPPENS NEXT), Kristina McBride (ONE MOMENT), Katie McGarry (PUSHING THE LIMITS) and Tiffany Schmidt (SEND ME A SIGN). Facebook Page RSVP

COLLEEN’S 2012 FAVORITES

Colleen Clayton — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 03:20:45 +0000

YA read:
PUSHING THE LIMITS by Katie McGarry

Adult read:
BOSSYPANTS by Tina Fey

Theater Movie:
BRAVE (Disney-Pixar)

Rental Movie

50/50

Favorite Song:

“Somebody That I Used To Know” (Gotye)

Favorite Musical Discovery:
MACKLEMORE & RYAN LEWIS

Favorite TV Show:
DOWNTON ABBEY (BBC)

Favorite TV Show Character:

Dowager Countess Violet Grantham

Favorite TV Show Moment:
When Michonne skewered The Governor’s daughter on THE WALKING DEAD

Favorite YouTube Video:
“Arthur’s Inspirational Transformation”

Favorite Moment of 2012:
Opening the email that said WHAT HAPPENS NEXT earned a Kirkus star

GIVEAWAY!

Colleen Clayton — Sun, 16 Dec 2012 03:13:46 +0000

UPDATE: THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR ENTERING MY GIVEAWAY! I’VE CHOSEN A WINNING RESPONSE AND THE PRIZE GOES TO RACHELIA. MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL. XOXO, COLLEEN

Hi, everyone! To celebrate the holiday season, I’m going to repost a blog entry that I wrote a while back and then hold an awesome giveaway!

The original post was part of a YAHighway Roadtrip Wednesday prompt that asked:

What would be the ideal holiday present for your main YA character?

Original Post from December 15, 2011:

I was so glad to see this prompt today! It has two things going for it in my opinion. One, it’s filled with holiday cheer and two, it gives me the opportunity to introduce you to my amazing main character, Cassidy Murphy! As some of you know, Cassidy (who prefers to go by “Sid”) lives in Lakewood, Ohio , a working/middle-class suburb of Cleveland. Sid’s family is not rich, in fact, her single mom really struggles to make ends meet sometimes. So anything outrageously expensive (a new car, a trip to Tahiti…) is very unlikely to end up under her Christmas tree. Also, Sid’s no diva, and while she does have a feminine side at times, she’s kind of a cynical tomboy most days (Think Juno!). So any and all gifts in the “frilly girly” arena (jewelry, a designer handbag, a spa certificate) are likely to make her eyes roll. What Sid could use and what would be feasible for her family to buy would probably cost no more than a 100 bucks and would be something that she could really make use of on a daily basis. So, I picked these fabulous boots out for her at Macy’s! Why these boots? Well, lots of reasons. They are cold weather boots which are perfect for surviving freezing, wet, sloppy Cleveland weather. They are super cute ( yeah, she’s cynical and tomboyish but she does have some taste and style standards). And the boots are to-the-knee tall which is a definite must because Sid Murphy is a tall girl. And not the willowy, waify, catwalk model tall. Girlfriend is all curves. (Think the lovely Christina Hendricks. Only in high school. And with curls, lots and lots of red curls!) Also, on a less glamorous note, the price is right and the boots are on sale. Sid’s mom works hard and Sid knows it, she appreciates it, and she would be thrilled to death to get these boots on Christmas morning. So, there you have it. Sid’s perfect present: some really nice boots from Macy’s. I hope you enjoyed this post and meeting my main character, Sid! She can’t wait to meet you too!

Now. Moving on…

I thought I’d add a little something to Sid’s holiday cheer this year and give readers the opportunity to pretend to buy a “virtual present” for her. The catch: It has to a present that Corey Livingston, her hot, adorable main squeeze would pick out for her.

GIVEAWAY RULES:

In the comments of this post you must come up with the best, most thoughtful gift for Corey to give Sid on Christmas. A gift that will knock her socks off and make her swoon right through the new year!
Follow me on Twitter @ColleenYA and post your twitter handle into the comment
One entry per person
Deadline: Christmas Day, 2012, noon
Open Internationally

And here’s the best part: THE PRIZE PACK!

Best answer wins Three Contemporary YA Titles by Little, Brown Authors! A signed copy of WHAT HAPPENS NEXT, an ARC of TRUTH OR DARE by Jacqueline Green (May 2013), and an ARC of FORGIVE ME, LEONARD PEACOCK by Matthew Quick (August 2013).

So get started my friends! Use your imagination and pick a lovely present for Corey to give Sid on Christmas!

XOXO, Colleen

P.S. I approve each comment individually so you may have to wait a few hours to see it appear in the comments section. Don’t worry though, it will show up shortly!