Pass It On Participant 8, J Anderson Coats, Everett, WA

mapJ Anderson Coats I met through the Class of 2k12 and have been lucky enough to have met this wonderful, funny, smart woman in real life for coffee.  I picked a couple locals for my Pass It On Campaign, I didn’t want the rest of the U.S. to have all the fun. :)   Here’s what she wrote about her participation on her blog:

“NEVER EIGHTEEN by my friend and colleague Megan Bostic is, at its heart, about action.  It’s about doing stuff that needs doing.  Hopefully I’ll never be in Austin’s position, with one eye on a ticking clock, but the takeaway is the same:

Act now.  Someday it will be too late.

Everyone has things in their lives that need doing.  Undone things.  Things you’ve always meant to do but haven’t.  That you want to do, but you’re afraid.  That will be weird to do, so you put them off.

Act now.

There’s something you want to tell your dad?  Call him.  You’ve always wanted to apologize to that girl you terrorized in middle school?  Google her.  Your neighbor keeps his dog chained up in all weather?  Call someone about it.

I wish I could keep this copy of NEVER EIGHTEEN forever.  See how nice it looks on my shelf?

Thumbkitty agrees.  “Monkey, let’s keep this butt-warmer–er, I mean book–forever.”

But a book like this is meant to be shared.  This one will go to my mother, who will help it find a home in Eastern Washington University’s curriculum library where soon-to-be teachers can use it in classrooms to discuss ethics or philosophy or just to inspire.

My very own copy will arrive any day now.

 Do something today.  Maybe it will motivate someone else to do the same.”

 

J Anderson Coats book, The Wicked and the Just is debuting April 17, 2012 from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (we’re publishing house sisters!!!)

Here’s where you can find her on the web:

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Goodreads

Class of 2k12

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pass It On participant 6, Becky Kyle, Knoxville, TN

My next Pass It On participant is someone I met four years ago through Amazon’s Breakthrough Novel Award ContestBecky Kyle is a fellow writer and book reviewer, below she talks about how she passed Never Eighteen on.

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“For her debut novel, Never Eighteen, Megan Messina Bostic offered fifty of her friends a unique opportunity to spread the word. She’d send them a free copy of the book with the following request: 

•                Read it

•                Pass it on

•                Record how you “passed it on” in photos, video, or words. 

 

You could “pass it on” to someone else you think might want to read it and participate in the campaign. Or, you could “pass it on” by introducing it to your favorite indie bookstore or library, donating it to a high school English teacher, high school librarian, or a teenager you think will like it.   You could share it with your book club, leave it at a Starbucks, on a park bench (weather permitting); anywhere you think someone will find it.  Be as creative as you wish.

I read Never Eighteen and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. It’s a good thing I already have a copy or it’d be hard to part with this book. Here’s the link to my blog review: 

The best books make you consider your own life and make some changes.  Partially as a result of Austin, I have rethought my Bucket List. Depression and physical illness caused me to dump the whole thing. Since I’ve read Never Eighteen, I’ve realized there are a whole world of wonderful things to see and do and I shouldn’t miss them. Since then, I’ve seen BB King in concert and had the opportunity to see Modrian’s Trafalgar Square in person. 

As the lovely Ellen Mizell says in regard to the painting: “He gave us a good line.” 

And who knows–tomorrow may be the day we figure out how to allow me to do some of the items that physical limitations crossed off the list. Miraculous things happen every day.

So you’d think the next part would be easy. Megan really did make it so. I could simply leave my copy of Never Eighteen at my local Starbucks or veterinarian’s waiting room. And yes, I trust in the Universe helping people find what they need at certain times in their lives. Megan’s book certainly is helping me. 

Anyone who knows me well knows I’m not good with “easy.” I wanted to send this copy of Never Eighteen where it’d do a lot of good. My lovely friend, Belinda Christ’s, classroom library would have been an excellent choice, but I’ve already ordered a copy for her. 

An opportunity came to me at Christmas-time. The St. Michaels High School Library, which is part of the Navajo Indian Reservation, posted their wish list on Amazon for people to donate books. I sent them four of my favorites: Briar Rose, Book of a Thousand Days, All the Weyrs of Pern, and 1984. While I was on vacation after Christmas, I’d spoken to a young Sioux who still has family on Pine Ridge and he told me of the conditions there. Everything’s scarce. I knew St. Michaels had an extensive Wish List, but I wasn’t sure about donations “off the list.” So, I checked with the librarian at St Michaels, Melissa, and this was an appropriate offering. 

So, off to my favorite Post Office and (hopefully) my favorite Postal Clerk, CH. Here’s my friendly PO worker posing with the package.
 mail  man

Megan says that due to this project, Never Eighteen has reached three countries. Now, it’s reached a fourth Nation, that of the Diné, which means The People. My hopes that many young Navajos find the book as much of a joy as I have.  I may be reporting back.

Melissa advised me that she’d check with her principal to see if sending information about the library, school, and their students would be appropriate. I hope she will be able to tell us more.

Rebecca McFarland Kyle, January 2012″

Pass It On, Participant Three

MapThis will be two fold.  Katherine Longshore, fellow Class of 2k12er, from sunny California, read my book way back when it was first on NetGalley.  She talks about how it inspired her to reach out and rebridge
connections she’d lost along the way.  Will update when she “Passes It On”.

Katherine Longshore

Please check out Katherine’s links and info at the

bottom of this post.  Her debut Young Adult novel, Gilt, releases in May from Viking.

I don’t do resolutions — at least I try not to.  Number one, they make me feel guilty.  And I can generally find enough stuff to feel guilty about without adding more.  Number two, any day is a good day to change behaviour and bad habits — not just the first of the year.  Or so I keep telling myself.

So instead of my resolutions, I’m going to share with you two confessions.  And offer a challenge.  Ready?

Confession # 1.  I read NEVER EIGHTEEN by my 2k12 Classmate, Megan Bostic, a long time ago.  As soon as it appeared on Net Galley, I sent in a request.  I love contemporary YA (I know, crazy, because I write historical stuff) and this book had all the elements — love, fear, friendship, tragedy.  There’s nothing I like better than being so moved by a novel that I cry.  Not only this, but it’s set in the Pacific Northwest, an area I haunted on and off for a year in my 20′s, and still feel an enormous connection with.  Reading the book was like revisiting my youth.  The confession part is, that I haven’t said a word about it until now.  Mostly because if I’d blogged about it back in May, it wouldn’t have that much impact.  However, now the book will be out in two weeks (January 17).  And I’m hoping it will make a huge impact.

You see, it’s the story of a boy, Austin Parker, who is doing what he can to change the lives of the people he loves.  He can’t do much — he doesn’t have time.  But he does what he can.  He reaches out.  And sometimes, this is the most any of us can do.

Which brings us to Confession #2.  Until this past holiday season, I hadn’t sent Christmas cards in nine years.  Nine years.  I have friends in many diverse places.  And, unfortunately, I’ve lost touch with many of them (not everyone can be found on Facebook).  But I want to be in contact with them.  So this past year, I had to try.  Thanks to Megan and Austin Parker.

It’s hard to reach out into the void, not knowing if you’re going to connect.  I knew I’d lost some people forever.  People move.  And move on.  I’ve already got one letter back — Return to Sender.  But I also received a very sweet e-mail from an address in England telling me that the people I sent the letter to had moved.  That letter may never have been returned, and it felt good knowing that someone had the decency to let me know that I had it wrong.  So I could start another search.

Megan has kindly allowed me to participate in her Project Pass It On.  Not only is this a way to get the word out on her book, it’s also a way to encourage readers to connect with others.  Check out the web page.  It’s wonderful.  And think of ways you can connect.

Now I just need to find the perfect place to pass my copy on.

GiltFind Katherine on her:

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Goodreads

Class of 2k12 book description and bio.

Pass It On, Participant Two

I received word from participant number two, Brian Johnson of West Liberty, KY. He’s a poet and friend I met through Youtube

Pass It On MapHe tweeted about ‘passing on’ Never Eighteen.

“At Coffeetree books telling them they should buy Megan Bostic’s book!”

He also attached a picture, which you see below.

I thank Brian for participating in the project.

I received word from participant number two, Brian Johnson of West Liberty, KY. He’s a poet and friend I met through Youtube.

Coffeetree Books 

Project Pass It On, Participant One

I just received word from my first Pass It On participant, Melissa Cunningham from Fairview Heights, IL. (No stalking please).  This lovely woman is a Facebook friend and artist (Click here for her artist page on Facebook), and is the first to respond, so I thought I’d share.

Here’s what she said:
“Megan,
 Loved your book! I couldn’t put it down last night and had to finish it. My husband is going to wait until our copy arrives to read it – he said that we should pass it on now, to get the word out before it is released… So I went to my favorite coffee shop this morning and I was going to leave there. I had a change of plans when I ran into an acquaintance of mine. He is a high school English teacher. I gave it to him. 
I created a bookmark to go inside of the book, explaining the idea of getting the word out and passing the book on. While I was drinking my coffee with a group of friends, I watched him read your book. His eyes filled with tears as he turned the last few pages. He put the book mark in the book and set it on an empty table. Then he got up and called his brother. 

 A few minutes later another patron picked up the book, read the note on the bookmark and began reading! I wish you the best of luck! Happy Holidays and I look forward to January, when my personal copy arrives!”
 

I want to thank Melissa for participating in Project: Pass it On  I can’t wait for the others to come in so I can share.

Never Eighteen Project Pass It On

Never Eighteen Finished CopyI’ve been working with a publicist on a marketing campaign to get the word out about my book.  We decided to try a grassroots campaign.  Project: Pass It On.  Kind of a “pay it forward” if you will.

I chose some folks I knew from around the country; friends, writers, Facebook friends, family, and asked them to participate. My publicist sent a free copy of Never Eighteen to each of them (some of them are still en route).  In return, we asked them to:
  • Read it
  • Pass it on
  • Record how they “passed it on” in photos, video, or words.
I told them they could “pass it on” by introducing it to their favorite indie bookstore or library, donating it to a high school English teacher, high school librarian, or a teenager.  I told them they could share it with their book club, leave it at a Starbucks, on a park bench; anywhere they thought someone would find it.  I told them they could be as creative as they wished.

 

Here is where I will record their efforts in my campaign.  I appreciate all those who offered to and are participating in my “Pass It On” campaign.

 

Megan