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Loa Ledbetter | Dallas goes Supernatural...Kim Harrison, Aprilynne Pike, Eileen Schreiber and Kimberly Derting
Loa Ledbetter
June 5, 2010
HarperTeen kicked off the
first week of summer with the Supernatural Summer Tour. This is a six
day whirl wind tour that includes Kansas City, Atlanta, Dallas, Houston,
Chicago, & San Diego with five of HarperTeen’s top young adult authors.   When I caught
up with the tour at Borders in Dallas, Texas, the participants for this stop
were Kim Harrison (EARLY TO DEATH, EARLY TO
RISE), Ellen
Schreiber (VAMPIRE
KISSES 7; LOVE BITES), Aprilynne Pike (SPELLS), and Kimberley Derting (THE BODY FINDER). Kelley Armstrong (THE RECKONING) would trade
off with Aprilynne
Pike starting in Houston. For at least three of these ladies, it was day
three out of the six in the non-stop tour, yet they all greeted their fans with
energy and enthusiasm.
The evening started with all four ladies perched upon their signing table,
giving short introductions of themselves and their books, followed by a Q&A
session. Those in attendance got to find out a little about their favorite
authors. Such fun facts were that Aprilynne was the only
one of the four that actually went to school to be a writer but she felt she
learned just as much working in critique groups and reading. Ellen’s biggest influence
has been theater and acting as well as the
director Tim Burton giving her acting experience credit for helping understand
her characters. Kim
was big on fairy tales and science fiction growing up, went to school for a
biology degree, and felt her main influence was Ray Bradbury for mixing the real
with the surreal. Kimberly Derting who was
pre-med in college claims she wanted to write because she wanted to scare the
pee out of folks; that to me is the best reason of them all. You would never
guess her biggest influence was Stephen King.   Eventually
everyone lined up to have their favorite authors sign the books they either
brought in, or bought on the spot. I will admit, I was there like many of the
others in attendance for Kim Harrison, being a fan
of not the young adults’ series but the adult Rachel Morgan series. I
saw several copies of that series in waiting hands to be signed. However, I
made it a point to read both books, ONCE DEAD, TWICE SHY and EARLY TO DEATH, EARLY TO
RISE before attending the signing. I was not disappointed. Her new YA
series was quick and sharp, as a YA series needs to be for its audience.
However, even though I had my sights set on one author, I ended up leaving the
event with three new authors in my reading shelf. From Kim Harrison’s dead/living
girl doing bad things for good, to Ellen Schreiber’s
vampires that don’t sparkle (yeah), to Aprilynne Pike who does
fairies in a way you haven’t seen before (and will like, I promise), to Kimberly Derting’s young
girl with a nose for dead bodies (not literally, but you know what I mean), HarperTeen has a great lineup
of authors for any YA reader to enjoy during the lazy days of this
Supernatural Summer. Loa Ledbetter
Comments
19 comments posted.
Re: Loa Ledbetter | Dallas goes Supernatural...Kim Harrison, Aprilynne Pike, Eileen Schreiber and Kimberly Derting
Interesting column!
(Brenda Rupp 5:18pm June 5, 2010)
Sounds like the signing was a great success.
(Gladys Paradowski 5:25pm June 5, 2010)
You found some great authors. I'm sure you will really enjoy them
(Julie Swaney 6:23pm June 5, 2010)
Thanks for telling us about some interesting new authors.
(Robin McKay 7:06pm June 5, 2010)
Each author had a different influence from a different era, when you think about it, yet their writing is current. Sounds like there's some good reading in store!!
(Peggy Roberson 7:13pm June 5, 2010)
Sounds like a great time.
(Mary Preston 7:14pm June 5, 2010)
WOW these all sound like great reads and thay are all good authers with fun ways of wrighting.
(Vickie Hightower 9:02pm June 5, 2010)
Many new authors I have yet to try.
(Diane Sadler 9:12pm June 5, 2010)
There is such a wonderful selection of YA books coming out. I think it is one of the best area of fiction at the moment. The paranormal is strong, numerous, and well written.
(Patricia Barraclough 10:21pm June 5, 2010)
I find critique groups most helpful for fiction and 2 poetry groups.
(Alyson Widen 3:05pm June 6, 2010)
It is nice to know HarperTeen to gather this many authors to kick off a supernatural tour for this summer they all write superb books.
(Susan Lathen 1:04am June 7, 2010)
Sounds likes a great time.
(Mary Preston 5:17pm June 7, 2010)
Always looking to add to my
reading list. Thanks for
providing some new titles for me
to seek out!
(Margay Roberge 6:39pm June 7, 2010)
I have found some of my most
favorite YA books at
HarperTeen. And the best thing
is that they have whole books
free to read on their site.
Found Melissa Marr here and
several others. A good way to
take a test run with a new
author.
(Lisa Richards 10:42pm June 7, 2010)
Aprilynne Pike's books are fun - romantic triangle with enough action not to be too boring. I also enjoyed Kelley Armstrong's The Darkest Powers series and Kim Harrison's Madison Avery series (I was so happy she wrote the series after I read the short story in "Prom Nights From Hell" and wanted more of Madison). I have read four of the Vampire's Kisses stories but quit as I can't stand Raven and Alexander Sterling, as cool as he is, can't make up for Raven's TSTL behavior. However, not being a teen, I may not be the best judge of that series. :) (I hated "The Vampire Diaries", too)
(S Tieh 3:29pm June 8, 2010)
interesting column. sounds great
(Julie Swaney 7:57pm June 13, 2010)
THis is a great line up of authors.
(Julie Swaney 8:47pm June 14, 2010)
Oh I wish I could have been there!!!
(Brandy Blake 11:44am June 15, 2010)
wow I hope the great authers just keep coming.
(Vickie Hightower 12:30pm June 17, 2010)
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