It is that time of year...again! Events and places where teens, authors and books meet! For many booknerds and readers alike, we attend many book festivals and author events all over the United States. I am absolutely thrilled to be part of this blog tour for this event! And...I get to host one of the amazing authors that will also be in attendance! You'll find out who I'm hosting soon...after discussing some details about this fun event! And, of course, at the end of sharing all this exciting and fun information, there is an awesome Blog Tour GIVEAWAY...at the end of this post! So... Follow the tour and get to know all the authors before meeting them on March 9th!
Well, this coming March 2019, the City of Ontario will be holding their 9th Annual Ontario Teen Book Fest featuring various bestselling YA authors. Booknerds and fans of all ages are welcome to attend!
The event will be filled with a series of panels, break-out sessions, and keynote presentations! So, don't miss this fun-filled day of books and authors. Come and hang out with all these awesome authors and fellow booknerds alike!!!
When:
March 9, 2019, Saturday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Where:
Colony High School
3850 E. Riverside Drive
Ontario, California 91761
Did I mention that to attend is absolutely FREE and it is NOT ticketed!
Ontario's Teen Book Fest is completely FREE to attend!
For more information on the Ontario Teen Book Fest, go to:
Sponsored by:
*Books and other stuff will be available for purchase during the event*
FREE lunch will be provided by:
Feel free to share this event on your social media!!! Use hashtag #ontariotbf
Join us as we celebrate teens and books with an amazing lineup of authors! And, of course, there will be signings as well! Yay! To celebrate this upcoming and exciting event, we are having a blog tour spotlighting each of these amazing authors!
Blog Tour Schedule:
February 26th:
Spotlight on Abdi Nazemian - What a Nerd Girl Says
February 27th:
Spotlight on Suzanne Young - Movies, Shows, & Books
Spotlight on Cindy Pon - Bookchelle
February 28th:
Spotlight on Isabel Quintero - Read Now Sleep Later
March 1st:
Spotlight on Amy Spalding - Nite Lite Book Reviews
Spotlight on Julie Buxbaum - My Fangirl Chronicles
March 2nd:
Spotlight on Kayla Cagan - Movies, Shows, & Books
Spotlight on Demetra Brodsky - Adventures of a Book Junkie
March 3rd:
Spotlight on Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka - BookCrushin'
March 4th:
Spotlight on Jeff Sweat - Movies, Shows, & Books
Spotlight on Robin Reul - What A Nerd Girl Says
March 5th:
Spotlight on Jessica Brody - The Readers Antidote
March 6th:
Spotlight on Stephanie Garber - Adventures of a Book Junkie
March 7th:
Spotlight on Jennifer Brody - Bookschief Managed
Spotlight on Carrie Arcos - Read Now Sleep Later
March 8th:
Spotlight on Nicole Maggi - Bookchelle
Spotlight on Mary Weber - BookCrushin'
Today, I have the great pleasure to spotlight this amazing debut YA author, Jeff Sweat!
**About the Author**
He led the content marketing team for Yahoo and pioneered its use of social media. He directed PR for two of the top advertising agencies in the country, Deutsch LA and 72andSunny. He now runs his own Los Angeles–based PR and marketing agency, Mister Sweat.
He grew up in Idaho as the middle of eight children—seven boys and one girl—and attended Columbia University in New York. Jeff lives in a big blue house in Los Angeles with his wife Sunny and their three kids, two cats, and a racing greyhound.
He loves to travel and writes everywhere he goes, even when there's not a desk. He likes karaoke, motorcycles and carpentry. He was once shot in the head with a nail gun, which was not a big of a deal as it sounds. But it still hurt like crazy.
Stay connected with Jeff Sweat
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Jeff's Book:
Genre:
Young Adult
Science Fiction/Dystopian
Series:
Mayfly, #1
Publish Date:
May 8, 2018
Publisher:
Feiwel and Friends
Synopsis:
Jemma has spent her life scavenging tools and supplies for her tribe in the their small enclave outside what used to be a big city. Now she’s a teen, and old enough to become a Mama. Making babies is how her people survive—in Jemma’s world, life ends at age seventeen.
Survival has eclipsed love ever since the Parents died of a mysterious plague. But Jemma’s connection to a boy named Apple is stronger than her duty as a Mama. Forced to leave, Jemma and Apple are joined in exile by a mysterious boy who claims to know what is causing them to die. The world is crumbling around them, and their time is running out. Is this truly the End?
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Pre-order Scorpion (Mayfly #2) now!
*Cover to be revealed soon*
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Praise for Mayfly
"... There’s an almost mythological quality to this tale, as the resourceful protagonists maneuver through a barely recognizable landscape, with modern culture filtered through generations of oral history and misinterpretation, and debut novelist Sweat does an admirable job of maintaining the tense atmosphere and underlying desperation." ~ Pubishers Weekly Reviews
"...A smart, funny, sharp-eyed force. The knowledge [Garvin] imparts buoys this rewarding story." ~ ⭐Publishers Weekely (starred review)
"Vibrantly imagined...a welcome mirror for genter-fluid teens." ~ Kirkus Reviews
"Jeff Garvin has written a gorgeously crafted story with a complex, fascinating, and intensely real lead who I know will stay with me for a long time. Riley is a character who's deeply needed in young adult fiction, and this book is a beautiful new addition to the queer YA canon." ~ Robin Talley, New York Times Bestselling author of Lies We Tell Ourselves and What We Left Behind
"A moving portrayal of what it means to be different, yet the same, all at once. Jeff Garvin has written a beautifully thoughtful book." ~ Renée Ahdieh, New York Times Bestselling author of The Wrath and the Dawn
"With a main character who truly deserves to be called unique, combined with heartbreak and triumphs that are universal, this unforgettable book made me laugh, and also cry. Garvin's powerful new voice rocks!" ~ Lissa Price, international bestselling author of Starters
"Riley Cavanaugh is a sharp, funny, powerful voice for those who haven't quite found theirs yet. Both highly entertaining and highly necessary, Symptoms is the kind of book that makes you a better human for having read it. I loved it." ~ Dahlia Adler, author of Under the Lights and Just Visiting
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Now that we know a bit about Jeff Sweat and his book, let's get to the interview! Let's get to know him more... on a personal level... Shall we!?!
*Interview with Jeff Sweat*
1. Why write YA?
I discovered a love for reading around first grade, and once that clicked for me a whole world opened up. As the father of three kids who are my target audience, I know that it's getting harder and harder to convince kids to open a book. So it's important to speak to them in a language they care about, in places where they're likely to pay attention. I would love to play even the smallest part in a teen falling in love with reading.
2. What was the inspiration behind writing Mayfly?
I’ve always been obsessed with the end of the world. I grew up in the 80s in the Cold War, and it wasn’t a question if the world would end, but when. As a reader and an author, I started looking for fascinating whys—why the world would end.
Then I read a study that said that humanity had two major population booms: when we developed agriculture, and when we became old enough to have grandparents, at about age 30. Having “old” people around meant a memory to find food and water and avoid danger. It meant calmer heads to avoid war. So I asked myself: what would happen to the world if no one ever got old? We might survive, but civilization as we know it would cease to exist. And I knew that was the story I had to write.
3. Did you research much for Mayfly?
Mayfly is set in Ell Aye, a post-apocalyptic version of Los Angeles. I wanted to ground it in a real sense of place, so I visited almost every place in the book so I could get the right details. If I didn’t visit them, I used Google Street View!
There’s a fair amount of science in Mayfly, although we see that through the eyes of kids who’ve never been around science, so at first it seems mystical to them. The Haze, which plays a major role in Mayfly’s plot, is based upon current scientific theory...although I can’t say more without spoiling the book!
4. What is your writing process?
I try to write every day, even if for just a little bit, because that way the story never leaves my mind. I’ll typically write for a while, go walk my dog until I can sneak a peek of the LA skyline, which somehow activates the portion of my brain that thinks about story. The next day’s story usually comes to me then, and I dictate it to myself or run and home quickly take notes. That’s the way the creative process works, I think--it never comes right at you. Creativity always lives in the margins.
5. What would you say to someone who hasn't read Mayfly?
I describe it as Lord of the Flies meets Mad Max, which means there’s a lot there to like. Even though it’s set in the future, it says a lot about what it means to be a teen in today’s world, the way we ask kids to hold the world together. I’ve been told by readers that they’re still thinking about the book a year later. It stays with you.
6. Any favorite authors that inspire you?
My writing style was influenced by the three Rays: Ray Bradbury, Raymond Carver, and Raymond Chandler. But the author who most inspires me is Margaret Atwood. She writes about the apocalypse in a way that feels really personal.
7. How do you spend your time when not writing?
By day I run a PR agency called Mister Sweat. I spend most of my free time with my wife and three kids. But if I ever go missing, my family knows to go to the closest karaoke bar. If they play a David Bowie song and hold up a microphone, I will come claim it.
8. Favorite places you visited? Why?
Anywhere in Europe. But if I really have to pick, I’d say Ireland. We stayed for several days in a lighthouse on top a cliff, something I’ve dreamed about since college. It was one of the rare times when the reality was even better than what I’d dreamed.
9. Favorite foods?
Living in LA, I’m gonna have to say tacos. There’s never a bad time to eat a taco.
10. Favorite song(s)?
Bad, by U2. My favorite U2 song changes all the time, but this is always there – mostly because it came on when I was on a road trip with some friends in a college, and we stayed packed in this tiny car at the end of the drive to sing “I’m wide awake!” Just felt alive.
OMG! Wow! There you have it booknerds/fangirls! We found out a little bit more, personal, about this amazing debut YA author, Jeff Sweat! Be sure to come out and see him!
Thank you Jeff for taking time from your busy schedule for this interview!
***The Giveaway***
Note: Not Responsible for Lost & Damaged Prizes in Your Mail Box
Blog Tour Organized by
