sarah dessen latest news

WHAT HAPPENED TO GOODBYE tour dates!

2011-03-22T06:21:00.004-05:00

WHAT HAPPENED TO GOODBYE, my tenth book, is out on May 10th. We're celebrating with a kickoff event at The Regulator Bookshop, in Durham, NC. Then I hit the road. Will I be coming to a store near you? Look and see.....

Sarah Dessen’s WHAT HAPPENED TO GOODBYE Tour

Sarah Dessen’s WHAT HAPPENED TO GOODBYE Tour

Durham, NC
The Regulator Bookshop – 720 Ninth St – Tuesday, May 10, 7pm

Boulder, CO
Boulder Bookstore – 1107 Pearl Street – Wednesday, May 11, 7pm

Highlands Ranch, CO
Tattered Cover– 9315 Dorchester Street – Thursday, May 12, 7pm

Salt Lake City, UT
The King’s English at 15th Street Framery, 1519 So 1500 East – Friday, May 13, 7pm

Raleigh, NC
Quail Ridge Books & Music – 3522 Wade Avenue – Monday, May 16, 7pm

Naperville, IL
Anderson’s Bookshop – 123 West Jefferson – Tuesday, May 17, 7pm

Omaha, NE
The Bookworm at Millard Branch Library, 13214 Westwood Lane – Wednesday, May 18, 7pm

Dallas, TX
Dallas Museum of Art – Horchow Auditorium, 1717 N. Harwood – Sunday, May 22, 3pm

Carle Place, NY
Barnes & Noble – 91 Old Country Road – Monday, May 23, 7pm

Bethesda, MD
Politics & Prose at The Bethesda Library, 7400 Arlington Road – Thursday, June 16, 5pm

Houston, TX
Blue Willow Bookshop at The Refuge – 13150 Memorial Drive – Friday, June 17, 7pm
**Please note that there will be a canned food drive, all donations welcome!**

Chapel Hill, NC
Flyleaf Books---Monday, June 20th, 7pm

Asheville, NC
Malaprop’s Bookstore – 55 Haywood Street – Wednesday, August 3, 7pm

what's coming up....

2011-01-10T15:08:00.002-05:00

Okay, so somehow it is now 2011. How did THAT happen? I'm not quite sure.

What I DO know, however, is that I have a new book coming out this summer. It's called What Happened to Goodbye, and it will be published on May 10, 2011. Tour plans and other fun stuff are still being finalized, but when I do know anything, I'll put it up here, my main blog, and anywhere else I possibly can.

Stay tuned!

still here....

2010-05-27T14:29:00.001-05:00

Okay, I don't even know how to BEGIN to explain my super-long absence from this blog. Or maybe I do. There was writing, and a toddler to chase around. Holidays and then more writing and more chasing. And then LOTS more writing. Oh, and one beach trip, followed by more writing. But finally, better late than never at all, here I am.

The big news is that because of all that writing, I'll have a new book out next year. It will be released in May 2011, and the title is a BIT in flux, but when I know it, I'll post it here. Why so far away? Well, there's editing, and after two books in two years, I wanted to take a break from promotion and book tour stuff to just try and chill out a little bit. (Chilling out with a two and a half year old, though, is a bit different than it was post-parenthood. Wouldn't have it any other way, though.)

In the meantime, I judged the Amazon Breakthrough Novel contest (which was SO fun) and shot a new video for Along for the Ride and summer reading (which I'll post when it's fully done). Along for the Ride will be in stores all summer, in a new edition with bonus material, including a map of Colby, my personal summer playlist, and an essay I wrote about why I love the summer so much and what it means to me.

What else? Well, it's summer, so I'm rocking my flip flops, making deviled eggs, and getting to the beach as much as I possibly can. Stacking books to read and trying to perfect my potato salad. If you want more details about what's going on, check out my main blog, or follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/sarahdessen, both of which I promise I update more often than this page.

I hope you all have a great summer!

Sarah

NCTE Schedule

2009-11-16T08:19:00.002-05:00

I'll be in Philadelphia from November 21-23 for the NCTE conference and a couple of bookstore events. Here's where I'll be:

11/21 Saturday

1:15 Author Strand presentation
with Michelle Kwansey
Convention Center room 103A

3pm Signing at Penguin Booth, #318

11/22 Sunday
9:00am Chester County Book & Music Company Author Breakfast
Chester County Books, West Chester PA

1:00 "A Novel Idea" Teen Event for Philadelphia Free Library at Children's Book World
Children's Book World
Haverford, PA

11/23 Monday

8:50 am ALAN panel with Deb Caletti, Todd Strasser and Adrian Fogelin

September appearance!

2009-09-01T08:25:00.002-05:00

Other than the North Carolina Literary Festival (see post below) I will also be doing an appearance for Long Story Short at the Barnes and Noble in Cary, NC. It's September 22, a Tuesday, at 7pm. For more info, go here. I'll be appearing with two of my FAVORITE people and writers, Marianne Gingher and Courtney Jones Mitchell. Should be a really fun time!

2009-08-25T07:07:00.002-05:00

I'll be appearing at the North Carolina Literary Festival, which is being held in Chapel Hill on September 10-13th. You can find out info here. I'm doing a panel on Saturday, Sept 12th at 11:10 am with Jill McCorkle and Courtney Jones Mitchell, held at the University United Methodist Church on Franklin Street.

I'm also doing at least one appearance for the anthology Long Story Short, published by UNC press. Stay tuned for details!

Tour dates!

2009-05-20T06:42:00.005-05:00

I'm REALLY excited to be able to share my book tour dates for Along For the Ride! Dates and times are subject to change, so check with your local bookstore closer to the event to confirm. Here we go....

June 16

7PM: The Regulator

720 Ninth Street

Durham NC 27705

Phone: 919-286-2700

June 18

7:30PM: Quail Ridge

3522 Wade Avenue

Raleigh NC 27607

Phone: 919-828-1588

Friday June 19

2:30PM: Mrs. Nelson’s

1030 Bonita Avenue

La Verne CA 91750

Phone: 909-509-4558

7PM: Barnes & Noble

7881 Edinger Avenue

Huntington Beach CA 92647

Phone: (714) 897-8781

Saturday June 20

1PM: Warwick’s

held on The Lawn of the La Jolla Historical Society

La Jolla, CA 92037

Phone: (858) 454-0347

7PM: Copperfield’s

140 Kentucky St

Petaluma, CA 94952

Phone: 707-762-0563

Sunday June 21

1PM: Books Inc--ticketed event, call for details

601 Van Ness Ave

San Francisco 94102

Phone: (415) 776-1111

4PM: Great Good Place for Books

Address: 6120 LaSalle Avenue

Oakland, CA 94611

Phone: (510) 339-8210

Thursday June 25

7PM: RJ Julia---ticketed event, call for details

768 Boston Post Road

Madison CT 06443

Phone: 203-245-3959

Friday June 26

1PM: Vero Beach Books & Music

2145 Indian River Rd.

Vero Beach, FL 32960

Phone: 772-569-6650

8PM: Books & Books

265 Aragon Ave.

Coral Gables, FL 33134

Phone: 305-444-9044

July 11

7PM: Anderson's *With Laurie Halse Anderson

Address: 123 West Jefferson

Naperville IL 60540

Phone: 630-355-2665

July 25

11AM: McIntyre’s

2000 Fearrington Village

Pittsboro NC 27312

Phone: 919-545-5727

Attention Michigan Readers!

2009-05-06T14:47:00.000-05:00

Here's a great opportunity, courtesy of Borders:

Greetings Sarah Dessen fans,

Borders is seeking excited participants for a very special Borders Book Club videotaped discussion featuring Sarah Dessen and several lucky fans. We will be discussing her new book, Along for the Ride, which releases June 16th.

The taping date and time has been confirmed for Tuesday, June 2, from 8 AM ET to 1 PM ET in Chelsea, Michigan.

If you are in the Southeast Michigan area, or can travel to Michigan, and would like to participate in this amazing opportunity, please respond via email yrmarketing@us.penguingroup.com . If you are selected to participate, we will contact you with confirmation, location, directions, and other detailed information. Participants are responsible for their own transportation and, if applicable, lodging costs.

In your email response, you will need to supply your name, phone number, and age. We are looking for participants ranging in age from 13-35. PLEASE NOTE: If you are younger than 18, we will also need to speak with your parent or guardian and receive email permission from your parent or guardian that it is okay for you to participate.

We will provide copies of Along for the Ride prior to filming. Though the discussion focuses on the new release, we will also discuss Sarah’s previous books.

Thank you for your interest and enthusiasm for all things Sarah Dessen!
-Borders

Spaces are filling up, so if you're in Michigan and interested, let us know. Thanks so much!

Lock and Key Contest!

2009-04-25T15:24:00.001-05:00

To celebrate the paperback release of Lock and Key (on May 14th) and my new community site Sarah-land (open now!) I'm having a CONTEST. Here's the idea. We got to thinking about the idea of Sarahland, and what it really means: to me, it's the idea that I've always tried to make my books take place, well, anywhere. Sure, there's Lakeview, and Colby, but in my mind, it could just as easily be your town, or my town, or anytown. So with that in mind, we'd like to see what Sarahland looks like where YOU are. Confused? Don't be. Here's the idea: take a picture of something where YOU live that reminds you of one of my books. Here are a few examples, from MY hometown:

Here's how you enter:
1. Take a picture, add your own quotes or text.
2. Send it in an email (as an attachment) to sarah at sarah dessen dot com. You'll receive an autoresponse, which will let you know we got your entry. Put your full name in the body of the email.
3.The photos must be original (we'll disqualify any that look like they are stock images, sorry). By sending us your image, you give us permission to post it on Sarah-land, my blog, and my Facebook fan page.
4. Deadline for entries is MIDNIGHT on Sunday, May 10th. We'll pick our favorites and announce winners on or around May 14th, when Lock and Key is published in paperback.

FIRST PRIZE: A lock and key necklace, USWIM t-shirt, signed copy of Lock and Key AND advance copy of Along for the Ride
SECOND PRIZE: USWIM shirt and signed copy of Lock and Key, advance copy of Along for the ride
THIRD PRIZE: Signed copies of Lock and Key and Along for the Ride
Good luck!

check out an excerpt!

2009-02-10T15:11:00.002-05:00

Here's a quick clip of me reading an excerpt from Along for the Ride. Hope you enjoy it!

January reading!

2009-01-14T08:33:00.002-05:00

I'm doing a reading for the UNC Friends of the Library on January 29th, at 5pm, on the UNC Campus. For more details, go here. Hope to see you there!

As promised...

2008-11-08T13:44:00.003-05:00

The cover for my ninth book, ALONG FOR THE RIDE.

It will be released in June 2009. More details to come!

November appearance!

2008-10-01T08:31:00.002-05:00

I'll be doing a benefit for the Women's Center of Chapel Hill on November 6th with the AMAZING Lee Smith, author of On Agate Hill, The Last Girls and Fair and Tender Ladies. Lee and I are old friends, so it should be a great time. For more info on tickets and times, check out the Women's Center Website.

This just in...

2008-09-10T14:06:00.003-05:00

....I will have a NEW book out in Summer 2009. It's going to be called ALONG FOR THE RIDE and I'll post more details here---and a cover---as soon as I have them. Stay tuned!

(Here is an article from PW with a few more details....)

reading at Durham County Library

2008-06-18T08:05:00.003-05:00

I'll be reading at the North Regional Library in Durham this coming Saturday, the 21st, at 2pm. (It's located at 221 Milton Road.) So if you're looking for something cool to do during this hot summer, come out and say hello....

Lock and Key now a bestseller!

2008-05-06T14:04:00.002-05:00

Thanks to EVERYONE who came out for my appearances, Lock and Key hit the New York Times Bestseller list at #2. Hooray! I am so grateful to all of you for your support and kind words, you have no idea.

I'm home now, done with the traveling, and trying to unpack while chasing around my daughter, who just learned to crawl and is now FAST. I'm exhausted! But in a good way.

Oops, there she goes again. Gotta go! Thanks again!

Lock and Key reading dates!

2008-03-22T14:40:00.005-05:00

So I finally have the go ahead to post my reading dates for Lock and Key. They are:

Monday April 21, 7:00PM
Regulator Bookshop
720 Ninth Street
Durham NC 27705
919-286-2700

Friday, April 25, 4:30PM
Politics & Prose
5015 Connecticut Avenue NW
Washington DC 2000
202-364-1919

Thursday May 1, 3:30 PM
Barnes & Noble #1955
7660 North Point Parkway
Alpharetta GA 30022
770-993-2770

Thursday May 1, 7:00 PM
Georgia Center for the Book/Margaret Mitchell House
Event held at The Decatur Library
215 Sycamore Street
Decatur GA 30030
404-814-2064

Saturday May 3, 3:00PM
Quail Ridge Books & Music
3522 Wade Avenue
Raleigh NC 27607
919-828-7912

Sunday May 18, 2:00PM
McIntyre’s Fine Books
2000 Fearrington Village Center
Pittsboro NC 27312
919-545-5727

It's not a ton of dates, as I can't bear to leave my baby for too long, but I hope some of you can come out to say hello...

Upcoming April Reading!

2008-03-17T11:39:00.003-05:00

Okay, so I am FINALLY getting back into the swing of things, with Lock and Key coming out April 22nd. And I can't think of a better way to start than with a reading at one of my very favorite places, UNC-Chapel Hill. The details:

When: Saturday, April 5, 10am
Where: Hanes Art Auditorium, on the UNC Campus

You can get more info and directions here.

Info on other upcoming events coming soon.....

read an excerpt from Lock and Key!

2008-02-07T15:50:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year!

Things are starting to gear up for the release of my newest novel, Lock and Key, which will be published on April 22nd. I'll have lots of stuff to tell you about as the date gets closer, but for now, you can read the first chapter
here. Just scroll down and click on FEATURES.

Hope you enjoy it! And stay tuned, more news to come.......

the latest!

2007-10-16T13:22:00.000-05:00

So it's been a busy few weeks, with two big arrivals. First, the birth of my daughter, Sasha, in early September. And then, shortly afterwards, I finally got the go ahead to share the cover of Lock and Key, which you see above. It'll be out in April 2008. Nice, isn't it?

Okay, back to diaper changing and catching up on sleep.....

new book update!

2007-08-15T08:48:00.000-05:00

I've been hearing from a lot of people lately who want to know if I'm working on a new book. The answer is yes. It's called Lock and Key, and it will be out in April 2008. Because we're still in the early stages, I don't have a cover to share yet, but if you're interested, check out
this blog entry for a brief plot synopsis. I promise to post more info as I have it.

Now, back to summer, while it lasts.....

Just Listen now in stores in the UK!

2007-07-04T08:40:00.000-05:00

A quick Independence Day update to let you know that Just Listen is now available in the UK. Check your local bookstore, or visit the Amazon page here. Also, if you're on Facebook, join the group Just Listen by Sarah Dessen to chat with other fans.

Have a great holiday!

beginning of summer update!

2007-05-30T15:42:00.000-05:00

Well, it's officially summer, and therefore, I figured, time for an update. First, I'm excited to say that Just Listen will be released in the UK in July, featuring the awesome new cover you see to the left. It's already getting some great buzz, so if you're a Brit or in the area traveling, look for it in your local bookstore.

I won't be doing any appearances for a little while, because....I'm pregnant. Yup, due at the end of the summer. Never fear, though: there WILL be a new book from me, in April of 2008. We're editing it right now, and it's going to be called Lock and Key. I'll be posting a cover as soon as we have one.

Thanks again for everyone for all the support. Have a great summer!

NYC reading!

2007-03-31T07:39:00.000-05:00

Finally! After ten years and seven books, I'm doing my first ever bookstore reading in New York:

Wednesday, May 9th

7 pm

Barnes & Noble #2906
240 East 86th Street

Come out if you can. Hope to see you there!

NCTE signings...

2006-11-14T08:47:00.000-05:00

I've been pretty much reclusive in the last few weeks, as I've been focusing on writing, but I will be at the NCTE conference in Nashville the weekend of November 17-19th. So if you're attending, come say hello at one of my signings:

Saturday, Nov. 18th:

10am: Penguin Young Readers Group, Booth #308

11am: Permabound, Booth #316

I'll also be doing an author strand on Friday afternoon, and a panel at the ALAN program on Monday morning. Hope to see you there!

Upcoming Fall Reading!

2006-08-13T08:45:00.000-05:00

On Tuesday, September 19th, I'll be doing a reading at UNC-Chapel Hill, my alma mater, former employer, and, pretty much, one of my favorite places in the whole wide world. It's at 12:30pm, in Donovan Lounge, which is in Greenlaw Hall, home of the English Department. Come out if you can!

the end of summer....

2006-08-05T08:57:00.000-05:00

...or, close to it, so I don't have much to report as I am making the most of what is left of this, my favorite season. As of this writing, Just Listen has been on the NYT Bestseller list for an amazing 17 weeks. Which is about 17 more than I ever dared to hope for. Thank you to EVERYONE who has supported this book, and me, this year. It means more than you could ever know.

Come fall, I hope to have exciting news to share---including the possibility of Just Listen coming to a TV set near you---and more appearances to post. Until then, I'll just be catching up on my sleep, reading, and, of course, Veronica Mars, all of which you can hear about, if you're so inclined, over at my journal. See you in the fall!

Cape Cod appearances!

2006-06-21T08:02:00.000-05:00

Though I am winding down my appearances for Just Listen, I'll be doing two bookstore events in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, at the end of July:

Tuesday, July 25th, 10am. The Brewster Bookshop, Brewster, MA.

Thursday, July 27th, 7pm. Eight Cousins Bookstore, Falmouth, MA.

hope to see you there!

Just Listen Eight Weeks on NYT list!

2006-06-01T09:01:00.000-05:00

Amazing and true: Just Listen is on the NYT list for an eighth straight week, holding at number 3. Can I just say that I am completely flabbergasted? Well, I am. All I ever dared to hope for was that it would make it for one week. Thanks to everyone who has gone out and bought the book. You guys rock.

Meanwhile, things are slowing down a bit around here. No more signings for the near future, just catching up on laundry and cooking and other boring domestic chores. I'll be at the ALA conference at the end of June, but otherwise I'm looking forward to a quiet summer full of reading and yes, writing. We shall see....

Thanks again to all of you for your support and kind words!

more tour dates...

2006-05-03T08:44:00.000-05:00

Thanks again to EVERYONE who came out to support me, and Just Listen, while I was touring across the country. It was great to meet you all. Now, I'm back home, catching up on laundry and sleep, but there are still a few more appearances to come:

Thursday, May 11th: Barnes and Noble, Greensboro NC 7pm

Saturday, May 13th: McIntryre’s Books, Pittsboro NC 11am

Monday, May 15th, Joseph-Beth, Charlotte NC, 6pm

Thursday, May 25th, Borders, Raleigh NC, 7pm

I'll also be at BEA in mid-May, so if you're a bookseller or librarian I look forward to meeting you there!

Thanks again for all the support. The book continues to perform beyond my wildest dreams (three weeks on the NYT list!) and I know it's all because of readers like you.

all best,
Sarah

Just Listen New York Times Bestseller!

2006-04-14T08:46:00.000-05:00

Just Listen is now a New York Times Bestseller, hitting the list at #5. Thank you to EVERYONE who came out and bought the book, and to the booksellers for all the support. It means more than you know.

Next up: the book tour. Dates and times are below, so come out if you can....

Monday, April 17th: Little Shop of Stories, Decatur, GA 10am
Barnes and Noble, Alpharetta, GA 5:30 pm

Tuesday, April 18th: The Book Mark, Atlantic Beach, FL 7pm

Wednesday, April 19th: Vero Beach Performing Arts Center, Vero Beach FL 10am
Books and Books, Coral Gables, FL 5:30 pm

Thursday, April 20th: Barnes and Noble, Framingham, MA 7pm

Friday, April 21st: Bookcase, Wayzata, MN, 2:30pm

Borders, Woodbury, MN 6pm

Saturday, April 22nd: Borders, Novi, MI 12:00pm
Nicola’s Books, Ann Arbor MI 7pm

Monday, April 24th: Copperfield’s Books, Petaluma, CA. Go here for details.

Tuesday, April 25th: Books Inc, San Francisco, CA 6pm: ticketed event, go here for details

Wednesday, April 26th: Rakestraw Books, Danville CA 10am
Barnes and Noble, Walnut Creek, CA 7pm

Thursday, May 11th: Barnes and Noble, Greensboro NC 7pm

Saturday, May 13th: McIntryre’s Books, Pittsboro NC 11am

Monday, May 15th, Joseph-Beth, Charlotte NC, 6pm

Thanks again and hope to see you on the road!

tour dates!

2006-03-10T08:59:00.000-05:00

Dates for my upcoming tour (and several local events) are now confirmed:

Thursday, April 6th: Regulator Bookshop, Durham, NC 7pm

Wednesday, April 12th: Quail Ridge Books, Raleigh NC 7pm

Monday, April 17th: Little Shop of Stories, Decatur, GA 10am
Barnes and Noble, Alpharetta, GA 5:30 pm

Tuesday, April 18th: The Book Mark, Atlantic Beach, FL 7pm

Wednesday, April 19th: Vero Beach, Florida (this one is still a bit in flux..will post details when I have them)
Books and Books, Coral Gables, FL 5:30 pm

Thursday, April 20th: Barnes and Noble, Framingham, MA 7pm

Friday, April 21st: Bookcase, Wayzata, MN, 1pm

Borders, Woodbury, MN 6pm

Saturday, April 22nd: Borders, Novi, MI 12:00pm
Nicola’s Books, Ann Arbor MI 7pm

Monday, April 24th: Copperfield’s Books, Petaluma, CA: contact bookstore for details

Tuesday, April 25th: Books Inc, San Francisco, CA 6pm

Wednesday, April 26th: Rakestraw Books, Danville CA 10am
Barnes and Noble, Walnut Creek, CA 7pm

Thursday, May 11th: Barnes and Noble, Greensboro NC 7pm

Saturday, May 13th: McIntryre’s Books, Pittsboro NC 11am

Monday, May 15th, Joseph-Beth, Charlotte NC, 6pm

Whew! It's going to be a little crazy. But fun, for sure....

upcoming appearances

2006-02-24T13:45:00.000-05:00

So the tour dates are still getting confirmed---although it looks like the last two weeks in April, or thereabouts---but in the meantime, a couple of local events:

Thursday, April 6th: Regulator Bookshop, Durham, NC. 7pm.

Wednesday, April 12th: Quail Ridge Books, Raleigh, NC. 7pm.

In the meantime, a reminder: Just Listen and The Truth About Forever (in paperback) will be in stores April 6th. Also out that day is Twice Told, a short story collection containing my story "Sha-la-la."

In the next few weeks, I hope to have some cool links to post, possibly a contest, and maybe even a podcast or two, depending on if I can work the technology. So if you hear loud cursing coming from the general direction of the Southeast, I apologize in advance.

More to come as I have it...

new pub date!

2006-01-06T10:21:00.000-05:00

The pub date for Just Listen has been moved up to April 6th. Also pubbing (is that even a word?) on the 6th is the paperback of The Truth About Forever, as well as the anthology Twice Told, in which contains my story "Sha-la-la."

So on April 6th, I'll either be incredibly excited or possibly sedated. Maybe both.

More news to come as I have it.....

Welcome.

2005-11-03T09:21:00.001-05:00

Welcome to my latest news page, where you'll find updated info on appearances, books and events. The biggest news as of right now is that my new book, Just Listen, will be published in May of 2006. Also, I'll have a short story in the upcoming anthology Twice Told, which will be out in April.

I know, I know, the spring is a long way away. In the meantime, you can check out my online journal for innane daily commentary on such items of merit as Gilmore Girls, my Adam Brody fixation, and my dogs.

As the pub date approaches, we'll have info here about my book tour, cool promotional stuff, and anything else exciting that's going on. Stay tuned!