Alyssa B. Sheinmel's Blog
February 1, 2019
A Danger to Herself and Others: On Sale February 5th, 2019
My new novel, A Danger to Herself and Others, publishes on Tuesday, February 5th!
Want to learn more about the book? Read the first two chapters and follow the hosted by TLC Book Tours—starting Monday, February 4th!
In the New York area? Join me—along with my pal Danielle Rollins—at on February 7th as we discuss our new books.
Launch Event Details Thursday, February 7, 2019Powerhouse Arena28 Adams StBrooklyn, New York 112017pm
Want to learn more about the book? Read the first two chapters and follow the hosted by TLC Book Tours—starting Monday, February 4th!
In the New York area? Join me—along with my pal Danielle Rollins—at on February 7th as we discuss our new books.
Launch Event Details Thursday, February 7, 2019Powerhouse Arena28 Adams StBrooklyn, New York 112017pm
November 26, 2017
R.I.P. Eliza Hart: On Sale November 28th!
November 28th is just around the corner and with it, the on sale date of my new novel, R.I.P. Eliza Hart!Want to learn more about the novel? Please check out my blog tour—starting Monday, November 20, 2017 at . (Schedule below!)And, for those of you in the New York area, I’ll be reading from R.I.P. Eliza Hart at next month's Teen Author Reading Night, along with a bevy of amazing authors (details below as well).
R.I.P. Eliza Hart Blog Tour November 20, 2017: —InterviewNovember 21, 2017: —SpotlightNovember 22, 2017: —ExcerptNovember 23, 2017: —ReviewNovember 24, 2017: —InterviewNovember 27, 2017: —ReviewNovember 28, 2017: —ReviewNovember 29, 2017: —ReviewNovember 30, 2017: —ExcerptDecember 1, 2017: —Review Teen Author Reading Night December 6, 2017 Jefferson Market Branch of NYPL Sixth Avenue and 10th Street 6pm-7:30pm Featured Authors: E. Lockhart, Genuine Fraud David Barclay Moore, The Stars Beneath Our Feet Michael Northrop, Polaris Shani Petroff, My New Crush Gave to Me Alyssa Sheinmel, R.I.P. Eliza Hart Stephanie Kate Strohm, The Date to Save
March 8, 2016
2016 NYC Teen Author Festival March 13-20!
The annual New York City Teen Author Festival is almost here! I’m so excited to be participating in a panel with a group of amazing authors on March 19th at the New York Public Library� details below!Check out the full schedule of events .
Teen Author SymposiumSaturday, March 19th 1pm-5pm
Bartos Forum, New York Public Library, Fifth Avenue at 42nd Street
1:10-1:40 � What Can YA Do About It?A discussion of how YA literature (and literature in general) can help social change, and the role this plays in works across a variety of genres.Featuring:Michael Buckley
Donna Freitas
IW Gregorio
Brendan Kiely
Daniel José Older
Marie Rutkoski
Scott WesterfeldModerator: David Levithan
1:40-2:30 � The Secret YA Lives of Historical FiguresIn the spirit of Hamilton, let’s look at different historical figures through a YA lens.Featuring:David Arnold
Sharon Cameron
Heather Demetrios
Jeff Hirsch
AR Kahler
Emmy Laybourne
Hannah Moskowitz
Melissa Walker
Sandra Waugh
2:30-3:10 � Relationships are HardThere is a mistaken idea that “first love� is a giddy, simple thing, when in truth the relationships we form in high school can be just as hard and complicated as the ones we form as adults. Across a variety of genres, these authors explore “young love� and show that it is just as serious, and just as meaningful, as any other kind of love. Here they will discuss this.Featuring:Martina Boone
Selene Castrovilla
Lauren Gibaldi
Emily Ross
Adam Silvera
Jennifer E. Smith
Catherine StineModerator: Aimee Friedman
3:20-4:10 � Building a World, One Page at a TimeEach of these authors has constructed vibrant worlds for their novels � whether as offshoots of our own world, or as wholly separate worlds. Here we’ll talk about creating these stories, and the choices involved in putting together both the worlds and the characters who must navigate them.Featuring:Lisa Amowitz
Zoraida Cordova
Jaclyn Dolamore
Amy Ewing
Lori Goldstein
Melissa Grey
Amalie Howard
Mackenzi LeeModerator: Andrea Cremer
4:10-5:00 � Perspective (Part 2)What perspective do we, as adults, bring to our novels when we write about teenagers? How do we balance what we know and what our characters don’t? Why do we find ourselves revisiting these years, and what do we learn (even years later) by writing about them? How do you acknowledge the darkness without robbing the reader of finding any light? In this candid conversation, we’ll talk to four acclaimed authors about being an adult and writing about teenagers.Featuring:Kerry Kletter
Alyssa Sheinmel
Nicola Yoon
Jeff ZentnerModerator:David Levithan
September 30, 2015
YA Scavenger Hunt
Welcome to YA Scavenger Hunt! In this post, you’ll find exclusive content from YA Scavenger hunt author Lyn Miller-Lachmann, along with a clue for Red Team. Add up the clues, and you can enter for our prize—one lucky winner will receivea book from each author on the hunt in my team! (Including a copy of my new book,
!)But play fast: this contest (and all the exclusive bonus material) will only be online for 72 hours!Visit the page for all the details about the hunt including a information about all of the participating authors and the full list of prizes. There are SIX contests going on simultaneously, and you can enter one or all! I am a part of the RED TEAM—but there is also a blue team, a gold team, a green team, an orange team, a teal team, a purple team, and a pink team! The prize for each time is a different set of books.THE PUZZLEDirections:Below, you'll notice that I've listed myfavorite number. Collect the favorite numbers of all the authors on the blue team, and then add them up (don't worry, you can use a calculator!).Entry Form:Once you've added up all the numbers,
. Only entries that have the correct number will qualify.MEET LYN MILLER-LACHMANNToday, I’m hosting Lyn Miller-Lachmann! Lyn Miller-Lachmann is the author of Gringolandia (a 2010 ALA Best Book for Young Adults), Rogue, and Surviving Santiago. She works as a translator from Portuguese and Spanish to English and recently translated the picture book The World in a Second from Portuguese, with other books from Portugal and Brazil in the works. She has an M.F.A. in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts and an M.S. in Library and Information Science from the University of Wisconsin. She is the former editor of MultiCultural Review and has taught English, social studies, and Jewish studies at the middle and high school level. Originally from Houston, Texas, she currently lives in New York City.Learn more about Lynn on her website
and buy her new book
! SURVIVING SANTIAGO by Lyn Miller-LachmannSantiago, Chile, 1989: the last place 16-year-old Tina Aguilar wants to be. Tina is forced to visit her father for the first time in years at his request following her parents' divorce. Still, she doesn't understand why he spends all his time with work, politics, and alcohol rather than getting reacquainted with his daughter. Fortunately for Tina, a cute motorcycle-riding local boy has taken an interest in her, though his presence is far from incidental or innocent. In this companion to the critically acclaimed Gringolandia, Lyn Miller-Lachmann spins a tale of deception, love, and redemption set during the final tense months of the Pinochet dictatorship.“Smooth dialogue, a quick pace, and palpable suspense combine to make a compelling read…A riveting story of love and acceptance amid a tumultuous political landscape.� � KirkusEXCLUSIVE CONTENTBelow is a deleted scene from Surviving Santiago, one of eight tapes recorded during the time the story takes placeRomeo: I took her on my deliveries—El Capo: And why would you bring her with you?Romeo: She asked me. She sits at home all day with nothing to do because the target’s always working. And I didn’t have the marijuana for her. I thought she’d lose trust in me because I didn’t come through for her in her hour of need. [INHALING SOUND, LAUGHTER] Romeo: It’s not funny, sir. I had to show I cared about her.El Capo: You do not bow to whatever ridiculous request the girl has. Romeo: I thought she could help me too. What she calls a “win-win.”El Capo: Gringo nonsense. Go on.Romeo: I asked her to watch my motorcycle so I wouldn’t get a ticket. But I ran into an old friend who works in one of the office buildings. Señorita Aguilar got jealous.El Capo: This is worse than I thought. Don’t get your friends from your neighborhood involved in our mission. Romeo: I told her it was nothing, but she wouldn’t listen.El Capo: The other girl. Was she the one I caught you with last year?Romeo: Yes, Sofia. It was the first time I’d seen her since. I swear. She’s not my type anymore.El Capo: And who is your type these days? Romeo: Uh, someone with more brains. Likes the same stuff I do. Seen the world. And a little less, uh, used up. El Capo: So you’ve become a real romantic.Romeo: I guess I’m looking for something different.El Capo: You can go girlfriend shopping when your mission is finished. Your job now is to get Señorita Aguilar back. You need to find out what the target’s going to say at that demonstration.Romeo: I can’t even talk to her on the phone.EL Capo: You called the house?Romeo: I wrote down the number one day when I was there. El Capo: So you can tip them off? How many times did you call? And who answered?Romeo: Uh…five…maybe six times. The housekeeper answered twice. A man, I think the target, once. As soon as someone answered, I hung up.El Capo: So now he’s going to put a trace on his phone.Romeo: I called from pay phones. Different ones each time.El Capo: Then you’re not as stupid as I thought. Romeo: I’ll keep trying, sir.El Capo: Good…And one other thing.Romeo: Yes.El Capo: How many ex-girlfriends do you have, Romeo? I don’t want this happening again.Romeo: Besides Sofia, three others. Maybe you should let me bring Señorita Aguilar here. So we don’t have to go out in public.El Capo: And why did I not want you here with the other girl?Romeo: We keep everything in the office. And the door locked.El Capo: Hmm� You might be on to something…All right. [CLINK] Here’s a key to the apartment. I’ll leave the contraband you requested under the sink, behind the powdered cleaner. Don’t mix them up.Romeo: I won’t.El Capo: Yes, you might. So listen. The contraband is in a baggie. The powdered cleaner is in, you know, the cardboard cylinder labeled “powdered cleaner.”Romeo: Got it. May I have some videos and the Nintendo, too?El Capo: I thought you’d have other plans for her.Romeo: She’s a little…uh…young for me. And more into movies and video games and stuff.El Capo: Fine. The sooner you carry out your mission the sooner you’re rid of her for good.
And don't forget to enter the contest for a chance to win a ton of signed books by me, Lyn Miller-Lachmann, and more! To enter, you need to know that my favorite number is 17.Add up all the favorite numbers of the authors on the red teamand you'll have all the secret code to enter for the grand prize!CONTINUE THE HUNTTo keep going on your quest for the hunt, you need to check out the next author, ! And big thanks to Colleen Houck for putting the hunt together!
And don't forget to enter the contest for a chance to win a ton of signed books by me, Lyn Miller-Lachmann, and more! To enter, you need to know that my favorite number is 17.Add up all the favorite numbers of the authors on the red teamand you'll have all the secret code to enter for the grand prize!CONTINUE THE HUNTTo keep going on your quest for the hunt, you need to check out the next author, ! And big thanks to Colleen Houck for putting the hunt together!
September 18, 2015
Faceless: On Sale September 29th!
September 29th is just around the corner and with it, the on sale date of my new novel, Faceless!
For those of you in the New York area, I wanted to share all the details for my upcoming events at BookCourt and McNally Jackson � with my sister, Courtney Sheinmel, who will be talking about her new book, Edgewater! (Learn more about Edgewater .) I’m also participating in a Teen Author Reading Night in November, with a bevy of amazing authors.
And, thanks to the wonderful team at RockStar Book Tours, you can follow my blog tour, starting Monday, September 21, 2015 at . The full tour schedule is below as well.
Hope to see you soon!
Event Details Sunday October 4, 2015 Book Court 163 Court St
Brooklyn, New York 11201 4pm Tuesday, October 27, 2015 McNally Jackson 52 Prince St New York, NY 10012 7pm November 4, 2015 Teen Author Reading Night Jefferson Market Branch of NYPL Sixth Avenue and 10th Street6pm-7:30pm Featured Authors: Alexandra Bullen, Young Widows Club Amy Ewing, The White Rose Brendan Kiely and Jason Reynolds, All American Boys Marcy Paul, Underneath Everything Alyssa Sheinmel, Faceless Courtney Sheinmel, Edgewater Faceless Blog Tour 9/21/2015: 9/22/2015: 9/23/2015: 9/24/2015: 9/25/2015: 9/28/2015: 9/29/2015: 9/30/2015: 10/1/2015: 10/2/2015:
March 16, 2015
The Haunting of Sunshine Girl: On Sale March 24!
I am so excited to be the co-author of a creepy and spine-tingling new YA series called The Haunting of Sunshine Girl! Of the first book in the series, bestselling author R.L. Stine said, “I was on the edge of my seat from the very first page,� and horror icon Wes Craven wrote, “Things that go bump in the night are afraid to read this book� Read it if you dare, but don't say I didn't warn you.”� Kirkus Reviews called the novel “Suspenseful, exciting and endlessly entertaining.�
My co-author Paige McKenzie � Sunshine herself! � will be traveling to bookstores across the country to talk about the series. Maybe she’s coming to your town! Take a look at the list of events below.
Portland, ORTuesday, March 24th, 7pm: Launch event at
Portland, ORWednesday, March 25th, 7pm:
Seattle, WAFriday, March 27th, 7pm:
New York, NY Tuesday, March 31st, 6pm: 3/31:
Waterford, CTThursday, April 2nd, 7pm:
Houston, TXTuesday, April 7th, 7pm:
Irving, TXWednesday, April 8th, 7pm:
Frisco, TXThursday, April 9th, 7pm:
New York, NYSunday, April 12th, 3pm: with R.L. Stine, Kieran Scott, Holly Black and me!
Paramus, NJMonday, April 13th, 7pm:
Huntington Beach, CAWednesday, April 15, 7pm:
Los Angeles, CAThursday, April 16, 6pm:
Montclair, CAFriday, April 17, 6pm: Event at
Los Angeles, CASaturday, April 18-Sunday, April 19:
Pasadena, CAMonday, April 20: Author Reception at Children’s Institute (Details TBD)
Hillsboro, ORSaturday, May 9, 4pm:
Princeton, NJWednesday, June 3, 6pm:
Want to learn more about Sunshine? Visit to watch the book trailer, read the excerpt, and discover the YouTube web series that started it all.
August 11, 2014
Author/Illustrator Blog Tour
Thanks to the wonderful , author of the Truth or Dare series, and my compatriotfor saying “Tag � you’re it!� to me for this author/illustrator blog tour.
Without further ado, here are my answers:
What am I currently working on?
I actually have several works-in-progress at the moment, but today in particular, I’m working on a revision of a book I’m particularly excited about called Faceless, which will publish next fall. Faceless is the story of a girl named Maisie Winters who is in a terrible accident � as a result of which, she needs a face transplant. Researching this book has been fascinating. Fewer than 30 face transplants have ever been performed (most of them partial), and there are only a handful of hospitals in the country that are equipped to do them at all. And as interesting and almost out of this world as the science behind this story is, I still feel like it’s relatable somehow � because it’s also just the story of a girl trying to figure out who she is, and who she wants to be.
Why do I write/illustrate what I write/illustrate?
Now that writing is my full-time job, I definitely approach it that way � as a job. I have deadlines to meet, responsibilities to fulfill, stories to tell. But I only ever got to this point because for a long time before, I was just that person who was always writing. I had notebooks filled with short stories as a little kid and a diary I hid in my sock drawer. I had file after file of essays and tall tales throughout high school and I took every single writing class I could fit into my schedule at college. So (cliché though it may be), I guess the answer to why to I write is that it’s just kind of what I do, what I’ve always done, what I can’t stop doing.
How does my individual writing/illustrating process work?
So far, my process has been different for every book I’ve written. I wrote my first few books while I was still working a different full-time job, so I wrote the books in fits and starts, on evenings and weekends and the occasional vacation day or summer Friday. I didn’t outline, but I did write tons of notes � I would say that my first book was probably the most made-up-as-I-went-along of any of my books. I had a detailed outline for my fourth book, Second Star, and a very very rough outline for my fifth � Faceless, which I’m currently revising. I feel like I learn something different about how to write a book with each book that I write, and I kind of like that I have different approaches for each. So far, all of my stories have been so different, and the voices so varied, that it seems appropriate that writing each of them has been such a different experience.
April 22, 2014
Second Star Launch: Monday May 12, New York, NY!
My new novel, Second Star, publishes on Tuesday, May thirteenth. Please join me to celebrate the book’s publication � and get your hands on a copy one day early! � with a launch event at Monday, May 12th at Books of Wonder (details below).
And, if you just can’t get enough Second Star, I’ll also be participating in a Teen Author Reading Night along with a group of wonderful YA authors on Wednesday, July 9th at the Jefferson Market Branch of the New York Public Library.
Hope to see you soon!
Monday, May 12, 2014Books of Wonder18 West 18th StreetNew York, NY6pm
Wednesday, July 9, 2011Teen Author Reading NightJefferson Market Branch of NYPL(at the corner of Sixth Avenue and 10th street)6pm-7:30pmFeatured Authors:Ellen Jensen AbbottCharlotte BennardoZoraida CordovaAmanda MacielAnna SchumacherAlyssa SheinmelChristopher Van EttenAlecia Whitaker
May 6, 2013
Life Actually Tour � May-June, 2013!
One of my very favorite things about being a writer is getting to meet and participate in events with lots of different writers! This month, I’m lucky enough to be participating in Random House’s with Lurlene McDaniel, Elizabeth LaBan, Anna Jarzab and more!
Below are the events I’ll be participating in, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg for this amazing tour, celebrating realistic fiction and the release of Lurlene McDaniel's new book, The Year of Luminous Love. Check out the full list of events at .
Hope to see you soon!
Wednesday, May 15, 2013Bethesda Library7400 Arlington Rd, Bethesda, MD 20814with Lurlene McDaniel and Elizabeth LaBan5pm
Thursday, May 16, 2013Barnes & Noble Annapolis2516 Solomons Island Rd, Annapolis, MD 21401with Lurlene McDaniel, Beth Bauman, and Elizabeth LaBan6pm
Friday, May 17, 2013Barnes & Noble Union SquareUnion Square, 33 E 17th St, New York, NY 10003with Lurlene McDaniel, Elizabeth LaBan, Shawn Goodman, and Anna Jarzab7pm
August 28, 2012
The Stone Girl - On Sale August 28th and Events!
My third novel, The Stone Girl, is on sale TODAY, August 28th!
Below are all the details for my upcoming events, together with some of my favorite young-adult authors.
And, for those of you who like to plan ahead of time, I’ll be visiting RandomBuzzers.com starting November 12, 2012!
Hope to see you � and hear from you � soon!
Alyssa’s Events Friday, September 14, 2012 (with Adele Griffin, Deborah Heiligman, and David Levithan)Barnes & Noble3535 US Route #1 Princeton, NJ 7pmWednesday, October 3, 2012 (Teen Author Reading Night)Jefferson Market Branch of the New York Public Library(Sixth Avenue and Tenth Street)New York, NY6pmFeaturing:Jocelyn DaviesJeff HirschAaron KaroEugene MyersAlyssa SheinmelSuzanne WeynSunday, October 7, 2012 (with Adele Griffin, Theo Lawrence, David Levithan, and Eliot Schrefer)Oblong Books6422 Montgomery St.Rhinebeck, NY4pmTuesday, November 27, 2012 (with Adele Griffin, David Levithan, Eliot Schrefer, and Robin Wasserman)Powerhouse Arena37 Main StreetBrooklyn, NY6pm
Below are all the details for my upcoming events, together with some of my favorite young-adult authors.
And, for those of you who like to plan ahead of time, I’ll be visiting RandomBuzzers.com starting November 12, 2012!
Hope to see you � and hear from you � soon!
Alyssa’s Events Friday, September 14, 2012 (with Adele Griffin, Deborah Heiligman, and David Levithan)Barnes & Noble3535 US Route #1 Princeton, NJ 7pmWednesday, October 3, 2012 (Teen Author Reading Night)Jefferson Market Branch of the New York Public Library(Sixth Avenue and Tenth Street)New York, NY6pmFeaturing:Jocelyn DaviesJeff HirschAaron KaroEugene MyersAlyssa SheinmelSuzanne WeynSunday, October 7, 2012 (with Adele Griffin, Theo Lawrence, David Levithan, and Eliot Schrefer)Oblong Books6422 Montgomery St.Rhinebeck, NY4pmTuesday, November 27, 2012 (with Adele Griffin, David Levithan, Eliot Schrefer, and Robin Wasserman)Powerhouse Arena37 Main StreetBrooklyn, NY6pm
