Come & see me in Chicago & Ann Arbor (I'll even sign your copy of LAW!)

by Brittany Geragotelis

I've been incredibly lucky to have been booked on some pretty awesome author trips lately. And that means...more opportunities to see my fans across the US! 

Last weekend was New Orleans for SIBA (Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance)--photos and video to come on that later. And this upcoming weekend I'll be in Chicago (well, more specifically, Naperville) and then Ann Arbor!

So, if you live in either of those areas, I hope you'll come out and see me--along with some other really amazing YA authors!

Here are the deets:

CHICAGO

SATURDAY, SEPT 28, 2013
What: Anderson's YA Literature Conference
Where: Hotel Arista
2139 City Gate Ln
Naperville, IL 60563
When: 8:15am-4pm (doors open at 7:30)
Who: This is a gathering of authors and educators interested in the best and newest in YA fiction.
Cost: $99 (includes meals, packet & giveaways); Registration Required.
How to register/more info

SUNDAY, SEPT 29, 2013
What: YA Fandom Frenzy
Where: Hotel Arista
2139 City Gate Ln
Naperville, IL 60563
When: 10am-3pm
Who: Anyone who loves YA will get a chance to witness some quirky author panels such as: speed dating with authors, a YA quiz show, and "Inside the Writers Studio" style interviews. There will also be autograph sessions, a candy bar (seriously, not kidding) and swag bags!
Cost: $49 (includes lunch, candy bar, freebies & some major fun!)
How to register/more info

ANN ARBOR

TUESDAY, OCT 1, 2013
What: Young Adult Author Event w/ Literati
Where: Ann Arbor Downtown Library (multi-purpose room)
343 S 5th Ave
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
When: 7pm-8:30pm
Who: Intended for teens grades 6-12, but really, anyone who loves YA should come! There will be a panel with a bunch of us authors as well as a Q&A and an autograph session
Cost: Free; books will be on sale courtesy of Literati bookstore
For more info

So if you live in one of these areas, please come on by! I'd love to talk to you....and the other authors who will be there with me are pretty wicked, too!

5x5,
B.

Sex Sells

by Brittany Geragotelis

I wasn't at all surprised to learn that Fifty Shades of Grey author E.L. James was the highest grossing author this past year...but I was surprised (and psyched) to hear that the British writer also topped Forbes' top earners list! With about $95million in gross earnings, E.L. tied in third place with "X-Factor's" Simon Cowell. I love that another female author is being celebrated for creating a cultural phenomenon. And that it's with a BOOK....anything that gets people reading, right?

What an inspiration!

In honor of this mega-star writer, here are 10 other surprisingly fun facts about E.L. James:

1. The Shades novels have sold over 35 million copies in the US--over 70 million worldwide--setting the record as the fastest selling paperback of all time.

2. E.L. likes a nice ride. She bought herself a new car after Fifty Shades hit No. 1 on the NY Times Bestseller's list! A girl's got to get to her book signings, doesn't she?

3. E.L. James is just a pen name. Her real name is Erika Leonard.

4. Fifty Shades actually started out as fan fiction for Twilight, which the author posted for free online before deciding to publish it.

5. E.L. worked in television all her life...but it's always been her dream to work in movies. So when she started getting e-mails from Hollywood about the film rights, she made sure to negotiate a lot of her own input into the project. We're talking approval of everything from the director and screenwriter to the costumes and locations. And she scored a cool 5 million dollar paycheck to do it!

6. E.L. did research into S&M before writing Fifty Shades. Although she's shy about talking about what exactly that entailed.

7. E.L. doesn't like the term "Mommy Porn" as a description for Fifty Shades. She thinks women shouldn't be made to feel ashamed about talking about sex (Amen, sister!). She also considers the book to be, at its roots, a love story.

8. She's humble, despite her overnight fame. She and her family (husband Niall Leonard and their two sons) still live in the same house in a quiet neighborhood in London that they had before the book craziness began.

Who's the real Christian Grey? Rob or Charlie?

9. E.L.'s first choice for who would play the role of Christian in the film adaptation? Rob Pattinson from the Twilight movies. The guy who was actually cast? Charlie Hunnam from "Sons of Anarchy."

10. She's the first one to admit that her writing isn't a great work of art. In fact, she started writing as a hobby, something to help her deal with her mid-life crisis. But she doesn't apologize for the lack of literary masterpiece (something I love about her!). Because honestly, who's to say it's not? If people liked reading it, then it's worth being out there in the literary world as far as I'm concerned.

What do you think of E.L. James and her books? Leave your comments below!

5x5,
B.

ONLY 5 DAYS LEFT to donate to my fan-funding campaign!

by Brittany Geragotelis

Time's running out to show your support! There's only 5 days left to pledge to my fan-funding campaign. If you haven't checked it out yet, the money we're hoping to raise will go toward helping me self-publish my next book, Ki$$ & $ell, as well as marketing, editing, publicity, etc....basically everything it takes to get the book out there to you all.

And there are perks to donating, too! Here are some of the cool things you can get for pledging:

*An autographed copy of Ki$$ & $ell
*A Ki$$ & $ell T-shirt
*A personal review of your book
*NAME A CHARACTER!!!

Remember, no amount is too small and we're about halfway there....and less than a week away from the end of the campaign. Please help get this book published! Thank you in advance for all your help and love, and don't forget to DONATE HERE.

5x5,
B.