Fiction Addiction

1175 Woods Crossing Rd. #5
Greenville, SC 29607
864-675-0540
Fiction Addiction storefront

  

Store Hours:
10am-6pm
Mon-Sat

www.fiction-addiction.comFebruary 27, 2014

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

CONTACT:
Jill Hendrix
Fiction Addiction
864-675-0540
[email protected]
http://www.fiction-addiction.com 

 

Hear the "He Said, She Said" Author Road Show Featuring Wendelin Van Draanen and Mark Parsons

  

 

Greenville, SC, February 27th, 2014 The "He Said, She Said" Author Road Show featuring Wendelin Van Draanen, multi-award-winning author of more than 30 books for kids and young adults, and her husband Mark Huntley Parsons, long-time nonfiction writer and the author of Road Rash, a band-on-the-road YA adventure will be in Greenville at Fiction Addiction on Tuesday, April 22nd, 2014 at 4:30pm

 

The couple will discuss their books, writing, the book-to-movie experience, and how they managed to juggle day jobs, children, and sharing an office without bloodshed. After their talk, they will take questions from the audience, then will sign books.

*Tickets are $10 (ticket admits one teen/adult and up to 4 accompanying children 12 years or younger to the event and may be redeemed on a purchase that evening). 

Tickets may be purchased  online, at the store, or by calling Fiction Addiction at 864-675-0540.

 

Mark Parsons and Wendelin Van Draanen are both authors. They've both been writing professionally for around twenty years, albeit in separate fields for much of that time. Now they both work in that loosely-defined, yet increasingly popular, field known as YA. (She's the veteran of the kid-lit genre, having worked successfully in the Middle-Grade and Young Adult venue since she started writing, while he primarily wrote non-fiction-magazine articles and books -- and is the new kid on the YA block.)

Additionally, they both share the same publisher-Knopf/Random House. And share the same office. And... the same life. Because Mark and Wendelin are married. And have been, for even longer than they've been writing.

"It took us a while to realize it -- like around twenty years," Van Draanen says with a laugh. "But by the time Mark started planning for the release of his debut novel, we finally figured out that what we do is kind of unique."

"Right," Parsons says. "I mean, we've shared an office for the past fifteen years, and we're still married." He pauses. "And it's not a very big office."

Consequently, their "He Said, She Said" tour isn't the typical series of 'read and sign' events. "We're talking about books, sure," Parsons says, "but also about how our little 'mutual aid pact' helps both of us be more creative and productive." Other topics include their writing processes, staying motivated, pursuing their dreams while working day jobs and raising a family, and the book-to-movie experience. (Van Draanen has had two books turned into film properties, including the Rob Reiner-directed Warner Bros. feature, Flipped.)

"People are curious about how all this stuff works," Van Draanen says. "And we're happy to answer questions and share what we know." She laughs. "Although, as with any time you get a married couple discussing something, you should probably expect arguments!"

Books featured on the California couple's "He Said, She Said" tour will include Van Draanen's best-selling Sammy Keyes mystery series, as well as a selection of her popular stand-alone novels including The Running Dream and Flipped. Parsons will discuss and sign Road Rash, his new band-on-the-road YA adventure.  

 

Praise for Sammy Keyes:

 

"The hottest sleuth to appear in children's books since Nancy Drew." - The Boston Globe

 

"One of the most loveable sleuths around." - School Library Journal

 

"The most winning junior detective ever in teen lit. (Take that, Nancy Drew!)"
- Midwest Book Review

 

"Sammy Keyes will endure for generations. Case closed."  -- Time for Kids

 

Praise for Road Rash:

 

"A road-trip adventure in romance and friendship that is ultimately all about the music." - Kirkus

 

 

 

About the authors:

Photo credit: Polar Productions
WENDELIN VAN DRAANEN has written more than thirty novels for young readers and teens. She is the author of the long running Edgar-winning Sammy Keyes series, and two four-book series for younger readers (Shredderman and The Gecko & Sticky). Additionally she has written several stand-alone novels, including SC Junior Book Award nominee The Running Dream, Swear to Howdy, and SC Junior Book Award winner Flipped (named a Top 100 Children's Novel for the 21st Century by SLJ and became a Warner Brothers feature film).

MARK HUNTLEY PARSONS has published primarily non-fiction, penning over a hundred articles for national magazines as well as a pair of non-fiction books. His debut novel, Road Rash, is a YA adventure about a high school boy who goes on the road with a band. It draws from Parsons's many years of experience as a rock drummer.

This writing couple from California have managed to share the same office for twenty years without bloodshed. Wendelin was a classroom teacher for many years, Mark an instructor at a Fortune 500 company. They have two sons, two dogs, and two wild imaginations.

Wendelin and Mark also coordinate the Exercise the Right to Read program, where readers run and runners read! Exercise the Right to Read is nationwide initiative designed to meet schools' literacy goals, meet schools' fitness goals, meet schools' community service goals, and raise funds for books for school libraries and disadvantaged children. The program is free and easy to implement, with prizes awarded each May. 

 

If you cannot make the event, you can reserve a personalized copy of any of the authors' books by contacting Fiction Addiction in advance at 864-675-0540 or at [email protected].

   

 

ABOUT FICTION ADDICTION

Fiction Addiction is a local, woman-owned, independent bookstore established in 2001. The store carries a mixture of new and used fiction and nonfiction, including children's books, as well as gift items. We have recently moved to a new location at 1175 Woods Crossing Road (in the shopping center with Five Guys and Fried Green Tomatoes). For more information, visit our website at http://www.fiction-addiction.com or call us at 864-675-0540.

  

  

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