YOUR COMPLETE GUIDE TO MJ’S 2011
Because I get a lot of questions online about what I’m doing and where I’m going, I decide to make a COMPREHENSIVE guide to my year, as I currently understand it. I’m still getting a lot of information, but I’ve decided to tell you EVERYTHING I know about my public schedule in 2011. I realize this implies that I have a private schedule, which is true. That I keep to myself, in my Rob Pattinson diary.* So here it is! 2011 in one blog post! It’s a kind of STALKER’S DELIGHT!
All your stalking needs, now in one place!
JANUARY
In January, meaning now, I am finishing up THE NAME OF THE STAR, the first of the Shades of London series. From January 19th until the 25th, I will be taking PERSONAL TIME. I am going on vacation. I have been told that I am not permitted to bring my computer, because I need to learn how to VACATE. I am vaguely traumatized by this, but I am told it is for the best. Where am I going? To the Caribbean, to be frightened by small fish and serenaded by steel drums. You’ll see me back online on the 25th. I’ll probably be a little frantic.
FEBRUARY
On February 1, Scarlett Fever comes out in paperback! So you can get your paperback on with the Martin family. THEY WOULD LOVE TO SEE YOU. From February 7th until the 14th, I will be writing at a secret lair in Mexico with Cassie Clare, Holly Black, Robin Wasserman, and Sarah Rees Brennan. THERE I will commence work on the second of the Shades of London books.
MARCH
March is mostly for writing, but there are a few events of note. On March 20th, I’ll be the host of an event honoring Laurie Halse Anderson at Symphony Space in New York City.
I might also be at ANOTHER EXCITING EVENT, but since I don’t have confirmation on this, I cannot SPEAK of it.
APRIL
Ah, April. Spring at last! From April 5-7, I’ll be in and around Oklahoma City, with the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Library System. They’ll be TWEETING details here.
On April 26th, THE LAST LITTLE BLUE ENVELOPE will be released! I know I’ll be doing some events in the NY/NJ/CT area for the release, but I have no info on this yet. I will, however, be celebrating MUCHLY online.
MAY
May is also for writing. And frolicking. And for being a darling bud of. I will likely be in England. I’ll probably be at BEA (Book Expo America, NYC) as well. I’m always at BEA, often spreading the flu, jabbering away in panels, and stealing all the books I can get down the front of my convention hall sweater.
JUNE
June is where the funtimes start. From June 21st to the 24th, I’ll be doing the first leg of a tour with Sara Shepard and Sarah Mylnowski. I know we are scheduled to go to Washington DC and Atlanta, but I have NO IDEA where. But if I have any say in the matter, I will be eating biscuits at the Flying Biscuit in Decatur.
It is also QUITE LIKELY that I will be at ALA in New Orleans somewhere in or around June 24-28th. I really hope so, because my list of foods I would like to eat in New Orleans is long and detailed.
JULY
Things get SPICY HOT in July, for July is LEAKYCON! And I am one of the people running Lit Day, the YA festival that opens the conference. That’s on Wednesday, July 13th. I’ll be around for all of Leakycon, but that day I will be TALKING and SIGNING and BEING AUTHORLY. The rest of the time, I intend to run around Hogwarts and drink butterbeer.
UPON MY RETURN, I leave for the second leg of the tour with Sara Shepard and Sarah Mylnowski. We are going to Chicago and San Francisco. And again, I know not dates and times.
AUGUST
I write. Probably in England.
SEPTEMBER
I write.
OCTOBER
In October, THE NAME OF THE STAR comes out. I will be touring for this, but at this time I have NO IDEA where or when.
I CAN tell you that The Name of the Star will also be coming out in the UK, Australia and New Zealand with HarperCollins UK, in Germany with Random House, in French with Michel Lafon, in Italian with Mondadori, in Dutch with De Fontein, in Hebrew with Graff Publishing, in Croatian with Algoritam, and in Taiwan with Sun Color. Other countries and languages hopefully to be announced soon! But that is what I know RIGHT NOW.**
Also, Brilliance Audio will be making a FANTASTICO audiobook that will knock your socks off, so attach them carefully.
Basically, October is going to explode with news, news that will likely spill out through November and December. I know NCTE (National Council of Teachers of English, Annual Convention) is in Chicago in November. I don’t have confirmation that I will be at that, but I’ve been told it’s likely.
I’m sure I’ve missed some stuff, but that’s 2011 as I know it RIGHT NOW.
CURRENT BUSINESS
I have two things going on right now that I also wanted to cover.
1. As those of you on Twitter will know, I am up for the Shorty Award, which is a Twitter award . . . in the category of “Weird.” It is now a life ambition of mine to get this award, but to do this, I need your help. Won’t you click here and vote? All you have to do is complete the sentence with the reason you think I deserve the WEIRD award. (Votes only count if you write something after the word “because”.) I am also quite proud of the votes I have gotten in social media and customer service, but the WEIRD award is the GOAL. So VOTE, won’t you?
2. I am now having a contest to find my OFFICIAL FILMMAKER for the trailer for The Last Little Blue Envelope. Basically, I’m on the fence about book trailers, and I said online that I’d prefer it if one of YOU made my trailer, and someone said, “Why not make it a contest?” And I said, “Why not indeed?”
To enter, send me a link to a video you made that you think best represents you and your style. You do NOT have to make a mock book trailer to show me what you plan on making. I just want to see YOU at your finest. Either send it to me on Twitter at @maureenjohnson or email it to me. The winner will get an advance copy to read so he/she/they can make the trailer, and the title of MJ’S OFFICIAL FILMMAKER. Entries are due this Sunday, January 16th.
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS I THINK PEOPLE WILL ASK
“How can I get you to come to my town on your tour?”
I don’t actually choose where I go on tour. The schedule is handed to me. It’s decided by the publicity/marketing department(s) at my publisher(s). I think most of the events for The Last Little Blue Envelope have been set up, so it’s mostly the fall tour that’s open. I’ve been suggesting that people tweet their requests to @penguinteen and @HarperCollinsUK, because, why not? It’s especially helpful if you have a bookstore or a library, because they are probably not going to send me to your house. At least, I don’t think they will.
“I didn’t see the third Scarlett book on there. When’s that coming out?”
There WILL be a third Scarlett book. It won’t be coming out in 2011, because I already have two books coming out in 2011, and I haven’t written it yet. But I will. Soon. NOT TO WORRY. IT COMETH. More questions? LEAVE THEM BELOW!
* I do actually have a Rob Pattinson annual for 2011. It was given to me as a gift. But I have to confess that it is currently straightening out a crooked bookshelf. It just happened to be the perfect thickness. I like to think Edward is holding up my books.
** I realize I don’t have a page of all my foreign editions. I should fix that.
Posted: Monday, January 10th, 2011 @ 9:47 pm
Categories: Leakycon, stalking aids.
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January 10th, 2011 at 10:01 pm
Yikes, a whole week in January without @maureenjohnson tweets?? We’ll be “a little frantic” too, believe me!
January 10th, 2011 at 10:06 pm
I concur with Edi. Your jars will miss you. ;_;
January 10th, 2011 at 10:12 pm
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by maureenjohnson, maureenjohnson and Katie Anderson. Katie Anderson said: RT @maureenjohnson Blog Post: http://bit.ly/hqRe3D <– in which she mentions the Flying Biscuit, my favorite eatery in the world. #decatur [...]
January 10th, 2011 at 10:20 pm
You have such a glamourous life, Maureen. When I grow up, I want to be you. Especially the traveling. You are my role model.
Also you are hilarious, and your books should be significantly more popular. If only popularity were based on merit.
But, hey, Carribean! Not too bad.
January 10th, 2011 at 10:25 pm
Good timing for the week without tweets this month. It’s right when I have exams so I won’t (hopefully) get so distracted! That would be nice!
January 10th, 2011 at 10:30 pm
Congratulations for the foreign editions! I Hope tons of new readers find you this year and enjoy your books (so many new books this year!).
Will you be staying in San Miguel de Allende?
January 10th, 2011 at 10:43 pm
For the January without you on twitter, I am likely to tweet frantically in order to cover up the loss, because it will be very hard to exist without my jar mother <3
Also, I will be eagerly awaiting your Chicago visit. I will be there NO MATTER WHAT IT TAKES (interpret this as you like).
Also, aren't all the books at the BAE free?
January 10th, 2011 at 10:59 pm
I’m guessing from the looks of things that you won’t be doing BEDA in either April or August?
It would be awesome if you would though…Oh would you, could you, please?
January 10th, 2011 at 11:27 pm
1. My Google Calendar is now updated with book release dates. Thank you. (No date yet for THE NAME OF THE STAR?)
2. I, like the other jars, am feeling a little separation anxiety at the prospect of a whole week with no MJ. We’ll have to huddle together for companionship and warmth. Maybe we can get a really big jar to use as a common room.
3. Yeah, what Manar said.
January 10th, 2011 at 11:44 pm
But who will feed the jars when you are in the Caribbean?!
January 10th, 2011 at 11:56 pm
Maureen, I always know when you’ve posted a blog. It’s like I have a sixth sense or something…
January 11th, 2011 at 1:31 am
MJ,
Very, very excited for your books! But PLEASE, I’m desperate here (waves arms in an internet fashion): I HAVE NO TWITTER, and I want to know IF THE LLBE ARCs for the 250+ ACCIO Book contributors have been sent already, because I DIDN’T GET MINE!!!!!!! Can you email me? I’m at shine4everfree@yahoo.com.
I know this book will be full of awesomeness, please let me know how I can seek out my destined copy so that we can dance in the bountiful flower fields of space!!!!
Thank you
January 11th, 2011 at 1:32 am
By the way, I am Jacleen, forgot to mention that. :/
January 11th, 2011 at 7:44 am
I am kind of irrationally excited about “The name of the star” even though you’ve told us so little about it! I can’t wait to get my hands on it, so I’m glad to hear it’s coming out here in the UK too
January 11th, 2011 at 2:37 pm
This ‘Shades of London’ series intrigues me. Have you spoken about this before? What’s it ABOUT?
January 11th, 2011 at 5:05 pm
I love all of your books of corse and am looking forward to your new ones but OH MY GOSH!! I MUST READ THE THIRD SCARLET BOOK BEFORE I DIE!!! ITS NOT LIKE I’M ANYWHERE CLOSE TO DIEING OR OLD ENOUGHT TO DIE…BUT STILLL!!!!! I must know what happens or I definitly WILL die of lack of Scarlet syndrome.
January 12th, 2011 at 2:44 pm
Aw, Maureen. It’s so nice of you to release Last Little Blue Envelope to celebrate my birthday. Like I always say, April 26 is the best day of the year, and now I have proof.
Also, to answer Jessamyn, yes, the books at BEA are all free, but publishers try to reserve them for booksellers, librarians, bloggers, book reviewers, and similar. I say try to because they can’t always control the feeding frenzy when they set out a stack of books. My first year there I came home with more than 50 books. This last year I forgot to count, but my suitcase was about 25 pounds overweight, not including the two boxes of books I’d already shipped back. (I was a bookseller at the time, btw, so publishers heaped ARCs upon me with abandon.)
January 12th, 2011 at 2:48 pm
What a great year! You’ve made me want to attend Leakycon for Lit Day (not that i didn’t want to attend already.) If you don’t mind my asking, do you write in England every year or is this part of research for the London series?
January 12th, 2011 at 4:15 pm
Yeah, sure, MJ. We know what you’ll be doing in the Caribbean. It’ll look a lot like this:
http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lep52dzbZT1qbucb0o1_500.jpg
January 18th, 2011 at 2:00 am
SCARLETT FEVER.
I want that. So much. *twitches*
Will be counting down days.. To.. *twitches* February.. *twitches* …First… *bursts into loud hysterical laughter*
…O.O
January 19th, 2011 at 2:25 pm
I had to reread that – the first time I thought it said boobs, which is a completely different visual…
January 19th, 2011 at 7:13 pm
I can’t wait for you to come to Atlanta and I am so craving Flying Biscuit now, you are super evil.
January 20th, 2011 at 11:51 am
Your year sounds amazing! Enjoy your vacation. I know you won’t see this until you get back, because you don’t have your computer. Do let us know how that goes. Went. Whatever. Hope it was amazing, and that you have fabulous weather. Exactly the kind we are currently NOT having. Sunshine sounds heavenly. Enjoy.
February 1st, 2011 at 9:05 pm
Will you be signing at BEA? Do you know yet? I’m planning to go and it’d be so awesome to meet you even though it’d just be for a minute or so since I’m sure your line will be way long.
That’s awesome too that you’ll be coming to DC with Sarah and Sara (you’re the odd one out, aren’t you? lol). I hope I can come to that as well.
February 3rd, 2011 at 9:32 pm
TWO NEW MJ BOOKS. And a BOOK TOUR. And LONDON. And MAUREEN JOHNSON. And LONDON.
…and I actually read this the day it was posted, I think, but had to read it again. And then say that after lending my friend my copy of 13 Little Blue Envelopes, she’s now mad at me because she’s too busy reading to do anything like, say, the project that our English teacher assigned that’s worth 50% of our grade XD
Honestly, though, I think I learnt more from your books than I did from my English class. But that’s another story.
…I think I’m going to wait a while before I tell her that there’s a sequel, just so I can see her mind explode in person.
Yeah. I think that was all. I hope to see you in AUSTIN. Hopefully with NEWLY-FANGIRL-IFIED FRIEND.
February 5th, 2011 at 8:26 pm
So excited that you’re coming to NOLA! I’m very curious, however… what are some things that you have on your extensive list of foods to eat in New Orleans?? The snowballs are fabulous, the crawfish and kingcakes are okay, but other than that most stuff here just kind of grosses me out…
February 6th, 2011 at 12:45 pm
Aww man D:
I waited over a year for the next Suite Scarlett book, but i have to wait another year :O
You have such an eventful life, and OH MY GOD, you get to go to DC with the famous author Sara Shepard, I L-O-V-E pretty little liars, but not as much as your books! There should be a book trailer for suite scarlett, I’m like obbessed with that book series!
February 14th, 2011 at 8:16 pm
Will you be doing any event-ish type things in England in May? A fellow American would love to meet you, as she has not yet had the privelege.
February 15th, 2011 at 10:30 pm
Since this is a stalker aid, I was wondering if you could make it a little easier for me to stalk you by telling me if you’ll be doing anything in NYC on around the 13-16 of April. That’s my spring break and I’m going to New York with one of my friends. Meeting my favorite author (and my friend’s, too) would be spectacular. I trust in you, MJ. I believe that you can MAKE IT HAPPEN.
March 21st, 2011 at 1:37 pm
<
June 17th, 2011 at 11:27 pm
Maureen, you have to write another book. I just finished The Last Little Blue Envelope. I need more!It’s 10:22 pm and I looked on your book jacket to find your website to tell you that I need you to write another one! Who does Ginny end up with? Keith or Oliver? I need to here about her life in England! I really hope you’re reading this because I went on your website (nicely designed by the way-very cute!) and signed up just to post this one comment. I hope I can influence you. PLEASE make more in the series!!!
~Shalom
June 18th, 2011 at 2:36 pm
P.S.
I hope you have a great vacation and get really tan!!!
October 16th, 2011 at 5:34 pm
I loved the name of the star! WHEN IS THE SECOND ONE COMING OUT? I KNOW THERES A SECOND! I’M TERRIBLE AT BEING PATIENT!