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.

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.

Choose the book cover for my next novel, Kiss & Sell!

by Brittany Geragotelis

I recently unveiled my fan-funding project to self-publish my next novel, Kiss & Sell, asking my fans to donate to the cause. Well, now I need your help in another way. After narrowing 21 covers down to just three...I'm still stuck on which to go with.

Soooo, since you all have such fabu-luxe taste, I was hoping you'd weigh in on which is your fave. The one with the most amount of votes will become the official cover for Kiss & Sell!

Cover Option #1

Cover Option #2

Cover Option  #3

Please leave your choices in the comments below! And don't forget to donate to my fan-funding campaign here.

5x5,
B.

Help Fan-Fund my next book!

by Brittany Geragotelis

If you attended BEA (Book Expo of America) this summer, you no doubt heard the term "Hybrid Author." Basically, it describes an author who chooses to both self-publish AND traditionally publish their books. Considering that I got my start in self-publishing and then transitioned into traditional publishing, the idea of choosing how my books are published on a project by project basis is really appealing.

So, I'm happy to announce a new writing project I'm working on. And for this one, I'm asking for all of my fans to get involved, too! I've officially launched a fan-funding campaign over on Wattpad, to self-publish my next book, called Kiss & Sell.

Kiss & Sell is a fun novel about a girl who feels like she's the last one in her class to get kissed, so she and her friends decide to sell her first kiss on eBay.

In order to ensure that this story gets told, I'm gonna need your help. I'm asking people to donate to the cause: $5, $10, $100, whatever you can afford is greatly appreciated. AND there are cool rewards for every level of support, like T-shirts, autographed books--you can even name a character!

And if you can't give money, you can still help out by mentioning this project on your social media! Remember, every little bit counts when it comes to showing the love.

Thanks in advance for your love and support!

5x5,
B.

Long time, no blog

by Brittany Geragotelis

I know..... Worst. Writer. Ever. Why? Because the last time I wrote on this blog was FOREVER ago. And I admit, there's no excuse for it. Though I have been busy writing and editing and adjusting to this life of being a full-time author (okay, so there may be a little bit of an excuse there). And I totally get the irony in that since I've become a full-time writer, I've stopped writing regularly on this blog...

Point is, I'm gonna try to be better. Let you all in on the things that are happening to me--because things ARE happening! And I don't want to become a writer who doesn't write.

So, as a thank you for forgiving me (I know you will, because you're THAT awesome), here's an update on EVERYTHING that's happened over the last 3 months. Lets see if you can keep up!

I got to witness two of my favorite girlfriends get married! Both weddings were in NYC. One was at City Hall and the other was on the East River at sunrise! Both ceremonies were gorgeous and perfectly suited to the brides. I was so honored to be there to help them each celebrate one of the most important days of their lives...and was happy to be the honorary documentarian at both.

Tammy, the bride, wore a royal blue gown that could be customized a dozen different ways! Our friend, Amanda, officiated. Oh, and that's Charlie, the groom!

Rebecca rocked a homemade wedding dress and cool coif.

My hubby has taken to photo-bombing at weddings. This is the third one this summer.

My second book, which is actually the first book I wrote in the series, Life's a Witch came out July 9th! This was the book that started it all. If you don't know the story, I originally posted LAW exclusively on the online book site, Wattpad for free and later self-published it. After gaining 19 million reads of it online, traditional publishers reached out and I ended up with a book deal with Simon & Schuster! Now, a new and improved version of the book is available at bookstores across the country. Get your copy today!

Me on Pub-day!

Matt and I went to Disneyland! We stayed in Anaheim for five days for Vid-Con, a video convention (think Comic-Con for YouTube videos) that's been growing exponentially each year. Matt was there to attend AND he even participated in a panel (and gained praise for his expertise!). Even though this was our THIRD time at a Disney resort this year, it didn't disappoint, and we still managed to find some time to have a little fun at the parks. Matt might have had a little too much fun...

Matt and I on California Screamin'

Matt and I on the Tower of Terror.

THE WITCH IS BACK! Good news...I've officially turned in the MS for the sequel to Life's a Witch, appropriately called, The Witch is Back. And she certainly is! Without giving toooo much away, in TWIB the Cleri are headed off to a witchy summer intensive in the middle of Colorado. And Hadley has no idea what she's in for. Not only does she find herself competing against Asher's ex-girlfriend, Brooklyn, but some sketchy stuff is going on around campus which leaves everyone thinking the famed legend of the "Witch in the Woods" might just be real. I can't wait for everyone to read the next chapter in Hadley's story! The Witch is Back is set to be out in bookstores in January.

Hadley will be back in January in "The Witch is Back"!

We spent a lovely week at the beach. Every summer we head to Ocean City, MD, for a week to spend some time with Matt's whole family. It's always a ton of fun catching up with everyone, relaxing, and spending some time in the sun. But most importantly, it's a whole week of READING for me. And can I just say...there was some pretty impressive fashion taking place on the sand. Don't believe me? Check it out!

The books I read at the beach!

Little fashionista, Lily, rocking this retro beach vibe

I just pitched my next series to publishers! I wish I could tell you all about it....but for now I'm going to have to stay mum until I know more. I CAN promise that it's about a girl who kicks major ass.

No, the book's not an autobiography...I just wanted to show off my new do.

Veronica Mars is my homegirl! So, I--like thousands of others--donated to the Veronica Mars movie campaign on Kickstarter and am beyond psyched that I'll get to see everyone from Neptune High on the big screen next year! On top of that...Kristen Bell (probably one of the coolest chicks EVER) and VM creator Rob Thomas both followed me on Twitter. Talk about awesomeness!

The New York Times followed me around on a Sunday. Seriously. This was a huge deal. Find out how to stalk me here.

Hollywood, here we come! Lastly, after almost 12 years of living in NYC, Matt & I have decided to move to LA. I've wanted to go for about four years now and finally all the stars have aligned and we'll be relocating back to the west coast. We're super-excited to start this new adventure and will be tying things up here in NY over the next few months.

So that's MOST of what's happened in the last three months. There are a few more things I haven't mentioned here, but if I included them all, it would make this the longest post known to the web. So I'll leave them for another time.

Til the next blog...

5x5,
B.

WHAT THE SPELL? on "Glee" and a wedding cake fit for an author...

by Brittany Geragotelis

I know this is a few weeks late, but I've been a little caught up with the whole "getting married and going on my honeymoon" thing, so I hope you'll forgive me for leaving you hanging. And as a thank you for your patience, here are a few goodies for you!

First off, although WHAT THE SPELL didn't turn out to have as big of a storyline as I'd thought it might, fans were still able to catch a quick glimpse of my book in the hands of Tina Chang on "Glee's" Guilty Pleasures episode. I can't describe how cool it was to see WTS on one of my favorite shows...well, you can imagine I'm sure. And in case you didn't catch it the first time around, here's a screen capture of the scene!

Second, if that wasn't already awesome enough, I just had the most FABULOUS time at my wedding! I don't want to brag, but people said it was the best wedding they'd ever been to...and I can't wait to show you all the pics! But for now, I'll just give you a teaser.

Of ALL the cool things we had at our wedding, one of my favorites was our cake. It was a stack of horror books, with monsters surrounding it and action figures of my husband Matt (I know, husband, can you believe it?!) and I on the top. Cake topper me was even holding a scythe from the last season of Buffy....how awesome is that?!?! Anyways, it was the perfect dessert for a novelist I'd say.

So, what do you think? Two amazing pics....which is your fave?

5x5,
B.

What's Your Guilty Pleasure?

by brittany geragotelis

I'm currently having one of those, "This is too good to be true," moments. If all goes according to plan, my debut novel, WHAT THE SPELL?, will be shown on "Glee" tomorrow night! Besides being one of my favorite TV shows ever, I'm just honored to be included in an episode which is all about "guilty pleasures." Because that's what I hope my book will become to all of you. Well, a pleasure anyways.....

I'm the first to admit, my novels aren't timeless pieces of literature that will be studied by students for years to come. They weren't intended to be. I write books to entertain, make people laugh, cry--feel something--and maybe even make you think a little. Either about the way you feel about the world or yourself, or to inspire you to take a stand, make a change or treat others differently. Sure, some could consider my writing to be "fluff," and others might even hide the fact that they like it since it's teen paranormal action...but why do things like WHAT THE SPELL? have to be a guilty pleasure?

Why should you feel guilty about what you choose to read, watch or listen to? The answer: You shouldn't!

There's no reason to be embarrassed because you like HUNGER GAMES more than THE GREAT GATSBY or prefer to watch "Keeping up with the Kardashians" rather than "Newsroom." And don't let anyone shame you into only listening to Taylor Swift when you're alone in your room or car. Go ahead and sing "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" at the top of your lungs no matter who's around (unless you have a terrible singing voice....then, you can settle for just cranking up the volume and humming along).

You should NEVER feel guilty about the things you like. First off, just because a person schedules time to watch "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" doesn't mean they're dumb or low-brow. It just means they enjoy watching other people spend their money and fight over who's defaming who while getting botox injections and air-kissing their friends at public events. (FYI: this show is a total-pleasure of mine! LOVE!). Next, why apologize for something you enjoy? Own your likes and don't be afraid to let others know that you don't feel at all guilty about liking them. Chances are, if your friends are being honest with themselves, they'll have to admit, they kind of love it, too.

And now that I think of it, this is EXACTLY what "Glee" is all about. Being honest about who you are and not apologizing for what that looks like. Teen books and reality TV aside....you are who you are, and that's perfect. Sooooo, whether you call it a guilty pleasure or a straight up pleasure (no guilt required), be sure to tune into "Glee" tomorrow night on FOX to find out which character can't get enough of WHAT THE SPELL? And don't forget to Tweet and post about it on Facebook when you spot it, #WhatTheSpellOnGlee.

5x5,
B.

Wear your heart on your NAILS

by Brittany Geragotelis

A friend pointed out to me recently that I have a healthy obsession (I like to think of it more as a hobby) with painting my nails. I've done marble nails, drippy blood nails (for Halloween) and splatter paint nails...I just love getting creative with nail polish!

So, decorating them for Valentine's Day was a no-brainer.

If you're looking for a festive way to show your love this holiday, here's a cool nail tutorial that I came up with which is inspired by my book, WHAT THE SPELL?. It's just the kind of way that Brooklyn would express herself on a big V-day date with her honey, Asher.

So check it out and then try it for yourself! And then buy your copy of WTS (It makes for the perfect V-day gift!).

And LASTLY, because I want YOU to have something sweet this Valentine's Day, here's a magical countdown for my long-anticipated upcoming novel, LIFE'S A WITCH!

Wishing you all lots of love today!

5x5,
B.


ATTENTION BLOGGERS: If you're interested in hosting the LAW countdown widget on your own site, please GO HERE!

Book Launch PARTY!!!

by Brittany Geragotelis

Help Me Celebrate My Book Launch!

Hey all! Just a quick note to let you know that the release day for my book, WHAT THE SPELL? is almost upon us (Jan 29th!). And I want you to help me celebrate the release by joining me at my launch party! Here are the deets...ALL are welcome!

Hope to see you there!

5x5, 

B.

What a Difference a Year Makes...

by Brittany Geragotelis

A friend of mine just reminded me that it was a year ago TODAY that I threw my book launch party to celebrate self-publishing my first novel, Life's a Witch. Now, a year ago exactly, my biggest dreams have come true and I'm writing books full-time. My first traditionally published novel, What the Spell?, will be available in bookstores across the country on Jan 29th. (Pre-order your copy here!)

What a difference a year makes. Seriously.

So, to show you JUST how things have changed, I decided to do a comparison from 2011 to 2012. Enjoy.

CAREER
2011: Working as Managing Editor at a magazine, reporting for a 8-6 job where the possibility of a raise was nowhere in the future. My co-workers were some of the hardest working, passionate, underpaid and under-appreciated people I've ever known. At the same time, I was writing Young Adult fiction in my spare time (from about 11pm-1am every night) and had just completed my sixth novel.
2012: Toward the end of Jan this year, I was on vacation when I found out the magazine I'd worked at for 10 years had been sold and all of its employees had lost their jobs. Including me. Monday we arrived home. Tuesday I cleaned out my desk. Thursday we went into an auction for the rights to my Life's a Witch series. By the end of the day Friday, I'd decided to go with Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers in a 6-figure, 3-book deal. Today I am a full-time fiction writer and get to wake up every morning excited to do what I love: write books!!! Not only do I set my own schedule and get to work from home (in my pajamas!), I get so much respect from my publishers and my peers that I can't help but feel loved and appreciated every day. It's a pretty amazing feeling.

PERSONAL
2011: Living with my boyfriend and enjoying life. Matt and I celebrated our anniversary in December of last year, and after four fabulous years together, we were beginning to talk about spending the rest of our lives together. Of course, this was all still talk at this point, but we were excited to be entering a new part of our relationship.
2012: About a month ago, Matt took me to Paris. He said that the job he'd recently started working at was sending him there to meet with investors and asked if I wanted to tag along. I said, "Duh!" and we planned a trip about a week before we were to go. When we got there, I quickly found out that he'd orchestrated the whole thing. There was no business trip. And he gave me a ring! Now, we're furiously planning a wedding that's going to take place on April Fools Day in Disney World. And we'll live happily ever after.

So, that's what's been going on in my life this year....how has your life changed from 2011 to 2012? What do you hope happens in the year to come? Leave your comments below and let me know!

5x5,
B.

Wednesday Quote Day!

by Brittany Geragotelis

Here's a quote from my upcoming debut novel, What the Spell?....what do you think?

5x5,
B.

I'm so excited, and I just can't hide it...

by Brittany Geragotelis

I'm so EXCITED!!!!!

I can't begin to tell you how excited I am that in just TWO DAYS, the first part of my debut novel, What the Spell? will be released for all to read! Yes, you read that right. On Tuesday, anyone who's pre-ordered their e-copies of my book will be able to check out what happened before Hadley and her crew got caught in a battle between good and evil. Before there was a Hadley and Asher. And that's what What the Spell? is all about. It's the story of Asher and his first girlfriend, Brooklyn, who's also a witch. But that's not all. Where there's magic, there's drama. And you know what they say...

Be careful what you witch for.

And just in time for the first e-release, reporter/writer extraordinaire, Calvin Reid, was kind enough to write this super sweet, super awesome article in Publishers Weekly about me and everything we've got coming up for the release of What the Spell? If you haven't already read it, be sure to check it out here.

Have you bought your copy of What the Spell? yet?

5x5,
B.

Disney Daze

by Brittany Geragotelis

Last weekend I took my whole family down to Disneyland. It was sort of my superbowl moment. You know, those old Disney ads where they'd ask athletes what they were going to do now that they'd accomplished some amazing feat, and they answered, "I'm going to Disneyland!!!" My book deal was my superbowl moment, and I couldn't think of a better way of celebrating than taking my family to the happiest place on earth.

So, me, Matty, my parents John and Diane, my youngest sister Jacey, and my middle sister Amy, along with her husband Cody and my nephew Cash, all headed from our respective cities to Anaheim for the weekend. Our family's always been huge Disney fans....I've gone to one park or another at least once a year since I was a little kid. My mom runs from one ride to the next and pumps everyone up. This was also my nephew's first time at Disney, so it was really special to be able to be with him.

In the end, though we certainly had our grumpy moments (lots of running around, heat and little sleep can do that), I think we all made some wonderful memories. Here are a few that I was able to catch on camera. Enjoy!

5x5,

B.

Amy at the character breakfast

From Top Left to Bottom Right: Cody, Matt and I. None of us were ready for the camera on Space Mountain

Most of the time Cash hid from the characters. He was not pleased.

There WAS a bit of mid-day napping for at least one of us....

Jacey was embarrassed that this character hadn't remembered to put pants on that morning.

Cashy!!!

Jacey giving us her best "pizza face" while eating at Naples Restaurant

Can you blame him for being scared?

The Haunted Mansion was decorated in Nightmare Before Christmas style. It was AWESOME!

Jacey likes big butts and she cannot lie....

Amy just told her a secret....guess what it was?!?!

What a flirt!

The happy family: Amy, Cash and Cody

We were dying when we saw this pic of us on Splash Mountain. And look at Jacey. She made this face on EVERY ride that took a photo. It was hilarious!

....See what I mean?...

And again...

You can even see her in the back left of this one...

So we tried it....though I'm not sure we pulled it off.

All in all, it was a really great vacation full of magic, fun and lots of laughs!