This Spring’s New Release

Posted on April 2, 2013 by elisaludwig

Well, it’s been quiet over here and I promise it’s for good reason. As some readers have noticed, Pretty Sly did not come out on March 12 as it was originally supposed to. (I know—suspense is cruel!) Its publication has actually been delayed. I’m really excited to tell you about these developments but for the moment all I can say is more info to come soon…

In the meantime, I actually had another new release this season to celebrate—on March 12, funnily enough: the birth of my first child, Rainer. Sure, it doesn’t resolve any lingering questions about Willa, Aidan, et. al, but how can you resist this punim?

 

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2012 in the Rearview Mirror

Posted on December 26, 2012 by elisaludwig

I hope all of you have had wonderful holidays thus far. I’m still nursing a pie-and-cookie hangover, but I thought, with the year drawing to a close, that I would take time to reflect on some of the best book-related moments of 2012. Becoming a debut author was an all-encompassing experience, and it felt like every week there was a new first or new skill to learn. In all, it added up to an enriching, challenging, transformative year. So here they are, in no particular order:

Very first signing!

  • Seeing Pretty Crooked out in the world
  • Meeting readers (this is still a wonderful novelty, btw)
  • Connecting with other authors, especially my fellow Apocalypsies
  • Discovering new favorite authors and books
  • Being amazed, time and again, by the generosity of friends, family, coworkers and complete strangers who helped me get the word out about my book
  • Signing books at my launch party
  • Going to BEA for the very first time (holy crap it’s overwhelming)
  • Going to the Frankfurt Book Fair (and I thought BEA was huge)
  • Learning to conquer (sorta) my fear of public speaking and self-promoting
  • Bonding with writer friends through the highs and lows (and sometimes minor humiliations) at book events
  • Getting to work with my editors at HarperCollins who were always upbeat, supportive and wise

    Meeting readers!

  • Mastering the Prezi
  • Connecting with bloggers who dedicate so much of their free time to their passion and inspiring a culture of YA readers
  • Continuing to work with my agent to better hone my craft and find my identity/voice as a writer
  • Discovering that becoming an author is an ongoing process that doesn’t end with publication

Of course, I’m really looking forward to 2013—and there’s some exciting news to come on the book front and otherwise. So how about you? What were some of your favorite moments of the year?

Posted in Pretty Crooked, Writer Life | 1 Comment

Pretty Crooked goes to Germany!

Posted on November 28, 2012 by elisaludwig

It’s been a busy fall with not many updates on this here blog—I apologize. I’ve been hard at work on Book 3 of the Pretty Crooked series (seriously, Willa’s drama is just beginning) and eking out a first draft of something new for my own personal unofficial version of NaNoWriMo. And there are a few other juicy tidbits of news I’m sitting on for the time being…more soon, I promise.

Anyway, back to Deutschland. In October, I traveled to Germany and the Frankfurt Book Fair where I was lucky to meet with the lovely team from Loewe Verlag who are publishing Pretty Crooked in January. Actually, the German title is Pretty Clever (“crooked” doesn’t really translate). I’m so excited, because this is my first foreign sale, and the idea of people getting to read my book in another language just continues to blow my mind. And today I’m thrilled to unveil the awesome cover! Ta-da!

Huge thanks to Loewe Verlag’s designers for a fantastic job! I love the emphasis on the desert setting and the simplicity of the design. I’m also really feeling the sassy orange. What do you think?

 

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YAmazing Race Concludes!

Posted on October 30, 2012 by elisaludwig

Thank you so much to all who participated in the YAmazing Race with MGnificent Prizes, which is now closed. Hope you had fun learning about awesome 2012 debuts!

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Welcome, YAmazing Racers

Posted on October 22, 2012 by elisaludwig

 

Hello, and thanks for visiting my site and for participating in the YAmazing Race with MGnificent Prizes which is truly YAmazing and MGnificent . I’m offering my own little giveaway here, too, so scroll down to find out more. If you haven’t already, please visit The Apocalypsies home page to read the rules and find out how this whole thing works.

Remember, the race runs from October 22 at noon EST to October 29 at noon EST.

Now I know you wanna get at those prizes—so much great swag, plus gift cards, ARCs and more—so get going!!!

ABOUT PRETTY CROOKED

Willa’s secret plan seems all too simple: take from the rich kids at Valley Prep and give to the poor ones.

Yet Willa’s turn as Robin Hood at her ultra-exclusive high school is anything but. Bilking her “friends”—known to everyone as the Glitterati—without them suspecting a thing is far from easy. Learning how to pick pockets and break into lockers is as difficult as she’d thought it’d be. Delivering care packages to the scholarship girls, who are ostracized just for being from the “wrong” side of town, is way more fun than she’d expected.

The complication Willa didn’t expect, though, is Aidan Murphy, Valley Prep’s most notorious (and gorgeous) ace-degenerate. His mere existence is distracting Willa from what matters most to her: evening the social playing field between the haves and have-nots. There’s no time for crushes and flirting with boys, especially conceited and obnoxious trust-funders like Aidan.

But when the cops start investigating the string of thefts at Valley Prep and the Glitterati begin to seek revenge, could Aidan wind up being the person that Willa trusts most?

PRETTY CROOKED GIVEAWAY!

Wanna win a signed copy of PRETTY CROOKED? It’s easy. All you have to do is enter in one or more of the ways below.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Ready for your next stop? Check it out here!

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My Berlin Adventure

Posted on October 17, 2012 by elisaludwig

I just got back from a superfun week in Berlin. My husband had a conference there so I decided to tag along and celebrate my birthday Eurostyle and find out what’s going on with the German version of Pretty Crooked (called Pretty Clever, to be released in January!). Here are some photo highlights from my trip:

I got on a train and caught the Frankfurt Book Fair, where I met my German editors and hung out with fellow Apocalypsie author Lenore Appelhans(pictured on the L).

I admired German bboys, outside of the Flohmarkt (flea market) in Prenzlauer Berg.I fell in love with a car. A Fiat, to be exact. Note that the Club is still very much in usage in Germany.I ate a lot of chocolate. Not this Titantic model, though, which was strictly for decoration at the Fassbender and Rausch choco-boutique.I admired this coffee shop, which has a delightfully straightforward name: Uppers.I saw bears like this one everywhere. Bears are the city mascot. This one was outside of our hotel, and while I can’t be exactly sure what it is that he’s carrying, I do love his polka dotted leotard.I ate a lot of meat. Pictured here is a wurst counter in the famous and dizzying KaDeWe food hall.

We rocked the U-Bahn and S-Bahn railway systems like nobody’s business. That’s Jesse, my husband, on the right.

 

 

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PRETTY SLY: The Next Big Thing?

Posted on September 26, 2012 by elisaludwig

I have had the good fortune of being tagged by the lovely Beth Kephart (have you read Small Damages yet? I am so eager to dive into this one), so I am now the latest in a writers blog chain talking about our next books, our next big thang thangs. So here goes:

Ten Interview Questions for The Next Big Thing:

What is the working title of your book?

Pretty Sly

Where did the idea come from for the book?

Like its predecessor, Pretty Crooked, it’s inspired partially by Robin Hood and partially by the real-life exploits of the Barefoot Bandit.

What genre does your book fall under?

Contemporary mystery/thriller.

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

Okay, I had to do some research on this. Addison Timlin could do a mean Willa—she looks a lot like her and she’s also a Philly girl, so props. I’d cast Tony Oller as Aidan, Keke Palmer as Cherise and Evan Ross as Tre.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

Girl goes on the road to find her missing mother and a whole lot of trouble.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

About three months.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

Pretty Little Liars meets Heist Society meets Sweet Valley High.

Who or what inspired you to write this book?

Well, Willa’s last adventures ended on a mighty cliffhanger, so that had to be rectified.

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

If you like road trips, makeout scenes, movie stars and lots of high-action heists, then this just might be the book for you!

I now pass the baton to E.C. Myers. Take it away, E.C.!

P.S. I will be at Towne Book Center in Trappe on Saturday for a workshop and signing from 3 p.m. Come say hi!

Posted in Authors, Pretty Sly | 1 Comment

Three Things (And a Six Month Freakout!)

Posted on September 12, 2012 by elisaludwig

Three things:

1. This is so crazy I can’t even believe I am typing it, but Pretty Sly will be out six months from today.

Six. Months. Do you know how quickly that is going to go by? I know, because I remember this time last year, anticipating the release of Pretty Crooked, and it was like two blinks and a wink from September to March.

2. And did you know Pretty Sly was available for preorder at Amazon and Barnes & Noble?  Okay, well, consider this your not-so-subtle reminder. Ahem.

3. Finally, in case you’ve read Pretty Crooked and you really liked it or if you just like me (I like you, too!) and want to help support my authordom, I’d like to to direct you to this blog post by my friend E.C. Myers. In it, he lays out all the ways you can help support your favorite authors and books. I was going to make my own plea, but he does it so well, I figured it easiest to just send you his way.

 

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Events up the Wazoo

Posted on August 6, 2012 by elisaludwig

Well, I had an amazing time on Saturday at the first ever YAFest in Easton, PA, which was held at the Palmer Library branch. 35 authors were on hand to meet readers and sign books, and the lineup was spectacular. Plus, there was a scavenger hunt, bake sale, book sale, panels, an especially memorable performance of MasterBerk Theater and a crew of incredible Volunteens wandering around to help us all day (they rocked). In all, a fantastic event, and I can’t wait until next year!

In the meantime, I have an event scheduled for tomorrow that’s a little closer to home—about eight blocks, approximately. One of the reasons I wanted to move to East Falls is because it has (in my opinion) the most charming branch of the city library system, and tomorrow, I finally get to do an author event there. It’s the first of a two-part series, actually, which starts with a workshop for teen writers and concludes on the 21st with a reading, signing and meet-and-greet. Hope to see you there. I can’t wait!

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It’s a Sequel!

Posted on July 18, 2012 by elisaludwig

Well, I got back from vacation to find this beautiful little baby right here:


Yes, that’s right. It’s the ARC for PRETTY SLY. It shines, it plays nicely with its older sibling, it has neat turning page thingies. And best of all, Willa’s adventures continue inside.

To celebrate my second published book entering the world, I am offering a Hello, Pretty Sly giveaway. Details are below. Go forth and Tweet, Facebook, etc. You will be rewarded with good things. (P.S. I’m teaching a free writing workshop at the Plymouth Meeting B&N this weekend. Come join me to learn how to create memorable characters!)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Posted in Pretty Crooked, Pretty Sly | 38 Comments