Meg Cabot and me!! (Well, not exactly)

Recently I attended Book Expo America in New York City. This is the fifth year that I've gone (third time in NYC). As always, it was lots of fun. Got to meet up with friends, editors, agents, publishers that I hadn't seen in awhile. And I also got to meet up with writers that I've corresponded with online for awhile, but never met in person (Hi Maureen Johnson! It was great to finally meet you!) Ran into some writer friends from home that I don't get to see while I'm in Boston (Hank Phillipi Ryan and Laurie Stolarz), which is kind of funny to go all the way to New York to meet up with people who live right around the corner from you at home.

Anyway, I brought my daughter, Piper (as I always do) and this year she was excited to see Olivia the pig, Clifford the dog and check out all the new kids books. Chester by Melanie Watts is her new favorite. (Melanie is also the author of Piper's favorite series, Scaredy Squirrel. Definitely check them out!)

Okay, so some of you may or may not know this about Piper, but she has a *collection* of tiaras that she absolutely must, must, must (I'm channeling Eloise here) wear when she's on vacation. We usually bring about two or three, depending on her mood. Now these aren't like hundred dollar, kid pageant tiaras here. They are typically plastic, some have sparkles on them, some have feathers, some have ruffles. It really just depends on her mood.






















So, of course, when we heard that Meg Cabot-- the author of The Princess Diaries -- the woman who brought tiaras back into style -- was signing her new series Allie Finkles Rules for Girls, we knew we had to meet her. My sister, Jocelyn, who is a HUGE Meg Cabot fan waited in line with Piper, while I got to carry all of Piper's loot that she'd acquired throughout the day: a gigantic balloon dog courtesy of the Guinness Book of World Records balloon guy, lots of books, stuffed animals, bags, snacks, you name it. Meg's assistant told me that I looked like Piper's sherpa, which I basically was.

Anyway, Piper got to meet Meg and it was worth the wait! Meg was so sweet and wonderful with Piper and they took this picture together, which ended up on Meg's Website! So, in all the years that I've been going to BEA, I've never gotten as much publicity or notice as my six-year-old daughter, who got to meet "the most famous writer in the world" (that's what she told her fellow kindergartners when we got back from NYC).




Maybe I should start wearing a tiara.



In any case Piper is smitten and she now wants to be a famous illustrator when she grows up (not a writer, because that's what her mommy does and it's boring, according to her). Perhaps she'll illustrate a series about a little girl who always wears tiaras and goes to New York to meet a famous writer...and a slightly more famous (at least in Piper's eyes) pig named Olivia.

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Reasons Why You Should Read SISTERS OF MISERY

Hey Everyone,

I'm not one to usually toot my own horn, but the reviews for THE LOST SISTER are just starting to come in and I realized that I never shared all the wonderful reviews and things said about SISTERS OF MISERY. (At least not all in one post.) So before I start posting new and wonderful reviews (thanks to those who have them up so early!) of THE LOST SISTER, here are some of the amazingly kind and wonderful things said about SISTERS OF MISERY. (These are the things that I read when I'm on the verge of giving up being a writer--and believe me, those days are not few.)

Spell-binding, suspenseful, and shocking…will chill you to the bone.
--Alice Berger

There’s no doubt Hall knows how to write one heck of a creepy gothic novel. She pushes the limits with disturbing plot points in this scary, fast-paced story. Romantic Times Book Reviews

The story is good, the plot intriguing, and the suspense nail-biting. --Armchair Interviews
This modern gothic has everything. --Bookloons.com

Hall maintains suspense until the very end. This story's dark, sinister edge, coupled with the clever use of runes to frame each chapter, will satisfy those fascinated by witchcraft and premonitions. Setting up a sequel, Hall will leave readers eager to know what happens next in her standout addition to a popular YA genre. --Publishers Weekly Review

Quite a read. It is full of mystery, and magic, secrets and unanswered questions that only loom larger as you continue on with the story. Sisters of Misery definitely stirs your soul… Sisters of Misery is a story that will grab you and not let go. – Midwest Book Review

Perhaps the best Gothic novel that I have ever read. Hall knows how to create suspense like nobody else. – TeenReadsToo.com

If you like creepy and spooky mysteries, Sisters of Misery by Megan Kelley Hall is perfect for you. Sisters of Misery is a deep, dark, complex and sinister mystery with spectacular supernatural elements. – Michellez Minionz blog

Sisters of Misery gave me the chills…a frightfully great read. It’ll leave you feeling as if a cold, dead hand were crawling all over your body. Ms. Hall has definitely renewed my love of the Gothic novel. –NightsandWeekends.com

The character driven tale contains a gothic tone and atmosphere as the main characters are interesting people who have kept secrets for decades. -- Harriet Klausner

More than a fantasy, as gripping as a thriller, Sisters of Misery is superb YA suspense, that delivers on its promise to keep the reader turning pages into the wee small hours of the morning.--Bookworm Reviews

Sisters of Misery was a truly chilling and suspenseful read. – The Book Muncher

This is possibly the darkest book I've ever read. I knew it would be sinister, but not that sinister. – Arya, The California Writer Book Reviews

Sisters of Misery is fantasically written. As the story goes on, it only gets more creepy, haunting, and suspenseful. There's loads of mystery packed in only a few hundred pages.
--Frenetic Reader

A gothic story with hints of witchcraft, and a mysterious disappearance, that kept me guessing right to the end. – In Spring It Is Dawn Book Blog

Well-written, highly suspenseful and slightly creepy.--Beyond Books Blog

This eerie tale kept me up late… The unraveling of the mystery itself produced some nail-biting scenes.--Damian Daily

Megan Kelley Hall excels at creating the perfect atmosphere for the story – it’s dark and threatening, with a palpable sense of dread. --In bed with Books

It was so well written and the plot was amazing. There were a lot of twist and turns. It sent chills down my body. –BookLuver Carol

The plot was electrifying, mystifying, and terrifying. The hairs on my arms were constantly on edge.---Fallen Angel Reviews

Sisters of Misery sent shivers down my spine…. It's sure to grab you tight, and keep you guessing until the very last page.-Liv’s Book Reviews

Sisters of Misery was undoubtedly a chilling read. Well written and suspenseful, Sisters of Misery keeps you guessing…With old superstitions woven in extremely well, Sisters of Misery makes for a haunting tale like no other. The Book Vault Blog

Hall had me craving for more. This is the realism of mainstream fiction, but the intensity of a thriller. -J Kaye Oldner Book Blog

This was an excellent book. Megan Kelley Hall twisted a modern town with age-old legends and nonfictional lore into a completely mystical setting. What seems like a struggle between friendships suddenly turns around in an intense plot-twisting scene less than midway through the book. And it's all mystery and suspense from there. I especially loved the originality of Sisters of Misery. I haven't read a single book like it. There was always this creepy, mysterious feel to the story.--The Page Flipper

Praise from Authors

"Spooky, compulsively readable, and thrilling, SISTERS OF MISERY views cliques and persecution through a realistic supernatural lens, and the result is as thought-provoking as it is sinister. A heart-stopping read.” -Jennifer Lynn Barnes, author of Golden, Platinum, and Tattoo

“What more could you want? Evil. Cliques. Mystery. Witches.”
--E. Lockhart, author of The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks, The Boyfriend List, The Boy Book, Dramarama, Fly on the Wall, How to be Bad.

"Shivery...Megan Kelley Hall hits one over the fence with her debut novel -- a true Gothic that skillfully combines the dangerous mischief of a modern clique with the bad girls whose prank-gone-mad ignited the Salem witch trials."
-Jacquelyn Mitchard, bestselling author of The Deep End of the Ocean and The Midnight Twins

"Original, insightful, and scary. Megan Kelley Hall writes with an intense, frightening grace that will have you turning pages long into the night. She has immediately established herself as a first novelist to be reckoned with in the future."
--Michael Palmer, New York Times bestselling author of The First Patient and Extreme Measures

"An exciting, dangerous, and mysterious world! Megan Kelley Hall has crafted a story that'll keep you guessing until the last page."
--Richelle Mead, author, Vampire Academy series

"A dazzling and dishy portrait of magic, mystery, and coming of age. Readers will eat this up and come begging for more."
--Laurie Faria Stolarz, author of the bestselling Blue is for Nightmares series, Bleed, and Project 17

“One of the very best things in life is discovering an author you want to read more of. Sisters of Misery makes me want to read a whole lot more of Megan Kelley Hall.”
-Ellen Hopkins, author of Crank and Impulse

"Just finished SISTERS OF MISERY and . . .WOW!!!! Best YA title I've read all year!"
--Jennifer Banash, author of The Elite

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