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 3rd!
Well, this coming March 2018, the City of Ontario will be holding their 8th 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 3, 2018, 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 19th:
Spotlight on Jennifer Brody - What a Nerd Girl Says
Spotlight on Abdi Nazemian - Read Now Sleep Later
February 20th:
Spotlight on Anthony Breznican - Starkiller Reads
Spotlight on Lilliam Rivera - Movies, Shows, & Books
February 21st:
Spotlight on Jessica Cluess - The Readers Antidote
Spotlight on Cindy Pon - My Fangirl Chronicles
February 22nd:
Spotlight on Ellen Hopkins (Keynote Speaker) - Germ Magazine
February 23rd:
Spotlight on Aditi Khorana - Nite Lite Book Reviews
Spotlight on Mary Pearson - Adventures of a Book Junkie
February 24th:
Spotlight on Emily Ziff Griffin - Nite Lite Book Reviews
Spotlight on Brandy Colbert - Read Now Sleep Later
February 25th:
Spotlight on Josephine Angelini (Keynote Speaker) - The Readers Antidote
February 26th:
Spotlight on Isabel Quintero - What a Nerd Girl Says
Spotlight on Amy Spalding - My Fangirl Chronicles
February 27th:
Spotlight on Jonathan Maberry - Seeking Bazinga
Spotlight on Jeff Garvin (Keynote Speaker) - Movies, Shows, & Books
February 28th:
Spotlight on Ava Dellaira - Book Lovers Book Reviews
Spotlight on Kim Turrisi - Starkiller Reads
March 1st:
Spotlight o Jessica Brody - Adventures of a Book Junkie
March 2nd:
Spotlight on Robin Benway - What a Nerd Girl Says
Spotlight on Lindsey Summers - Seeking Bazinga
Today, I have the great pleasure to spotlight this amazing award-winning author, Lilliam Rivera! So... Let's find out more about Lilliam... shall we!?!
**About the Author**
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| Photo by Julian Sambrano Jr. |
Lilliam Rivera is an award-winning writer and author of The Education of Margot Sanchez, a contemporary young adult novel from Simon & Schuster available now in bookstores everywhere.
She is a 2016 Pushcart Prize winner and a 2015 Clarion alumni with a Leonard Pung Memorial Scholarship. She has been awarded fellowships from PEN Center USA, A Room Of Her Own Foundation, and received a grant from the Elizabeth George Foundation. Her short story "Death Defiant Bomba" received honorable mention in Bellevue Literary Review's 2014 Goldenberg Prize for Fiction, selected by author Nathan Englander. Lilliam was also a finalist for AWP's 2014 WC&C Scholarship Competition.
Lilliam's work has appeared in Tin House, Tahoma Literary Review, Los Angeles Times, Latina, USA Today, Cosmo for Latinas, Sundog Lit, Midnight Breakfast, Bellevue Literary Review, The Rumpus.net, and Los Angeles Review of Books.
She hosted a monthly literary radio show, Literary Soundtrack, on RadioSombra.org. Past guests have included Laila Lalami, Victor LaValle, Matt Johnson, Sonia Manzano, Azar Nafisi, among others. She's also moderated panels for the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, PEN Center USA and more.
Her next young adult novel Dealing in Dreams is forthcoming from Simon & Schuster on March 2019. Lilliam is represented by Eddie Schneider of JABberwocky Literary Agency. She lives in Los Angeles.
Stay connected with Lilliam Rivera
Lilliam's Debut Novel:
(cover links to Goodreads)
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Praise for The Education of Margot Sánchez
"Introducing Lilliam Rivera, one of the most unique and exciting new voices in YA. The Education of Margot Sánchez is funny, poignant, compelling and authentic. She nails the music and conflict of an evolving Bronx, New York. I adore this novel." ~ Matt de la Peña, Newbery Award-winning author of Last Stop on Market Street
"In the hands of debut novelist Lilliam Rivera, Margot's choices⏤ which friends? which boy? which future? ⏤ take on a tense urgency. Lively and telling, smart and compelling, Margot Sánchez is a character to take to your heart and Rivera a voice to remember." ~ Karen Joy Fowler, author of The Jane Austin Book Club
"The Education of Margot Sánchez feels as classic as classic as Judy Blume and, at the same time, entirely new. It's a rich, page-turning tale about a teenage girl stuck between a rock and the growing-up place." ~ Veronica Chambers, author of Mama's Girl and The Go-Between
"The Education of Margot Sánchez shatters the myth of assimilation by exposing the loss and ache that comes with it. Instead, Lilliam Rivera tells the reader that there is nothing more powerful and beautiful than staying true to oneself." ~ Isabel Quintero, Author of Gabi: A Girl in Piece
"With a passionate voice, Lilliam Rivera weavers a layered and complex story of a girl awakening to herself and her family." ~ Cecil Castellucci, author of Tin Star
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Now that we know a bit about Lillaim Rivera and her book, let's get to the interview! I definitely got to know more about this amazing author with her response to all of these questions!
*Interview with Lilliam Rivera*
Of course, I must start off with the most basic of questions. When and/or How did you know you wanted to be a writer?
I was painfully shy when I was growing up. Writing was my way of dealing with trauma and de-tangling my feelings. It is the way I deal with things even to to this day. I became a journalist and had a strong career writing for magazines and online. I didn’t start writing fiction until later on.
What was your inspiration on writing The Education of Margot Sánchez?
My inspiration for writing The Education of Margot Sánchez came from the books I read when I was a teenager. I devoured Judy Blume books. I wanted to try to create a coming-of-age tale set in the South Bronx, New York, with the same emotional angst and humor as a Judy Blume book. I hope I was able to do that!
Are any (or all) your characters based on any person(s) in your life or even yourself?
I love this question! I really believe that my characters are all based on me in some way. I am a little obnoxious and insecure like Margot Sanchez, in pain like Junior, holding tight to appearances like her mother, and a charming mess like her father. Each character is a tiny piece of me.
Many books are being adapted for television series, TV movie, or film, which platform would best tell the story of your book?
I would love to see The Education of Margot Sanchez adapted. I think the novel can work on television because it is such a universal story of a girl trying to find her voice against a backdrop of a city that is quickly gentrification. I can see her navigating this with humor and heartbreaking results.
What are you working on next? That's if you can talk about it... :)
I’ve started drafting my third novel. I can’t say much about it but it is young adult and a retelling of a Greek mythology story set in New York. My second young adult novel Dealing in Dreams will be out in March 2019 by Simon & Schuster. Dealing in Dreams is a near-future story about girl gangs who rule the streets. I think readers will love it because who doesn’t love badass girls?
What advice would you give to aspiring writers?
My advice is to ignore the self-doubt and the haters out there and write. You are a writer when you put pen to paper, when you type words on a blank screen. Don’t allow anyone else tell you otherwise.
Favorite foods?
My favorite foods are based on the city. Because I’m a native New Yorker, whenever I’m back there I’m eating pizza and Puerto Rican food (arroz con gandules, pasteles, mofongo). When I’m back in Los Angeles where I live I eat Mexican food (all the burritos, all the tacos).
OMG! Wow! There you have it booknerds/fangirls! We found out a little bit more, personal, about this amazing author, Lilliam Rivera! Be sure to meet her at this upcoming event!
Thank you Lilliam 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
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