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Many thanks to everyone who participated in this month's blog series! I had a lot of fun gathering candid and heartfelt responses from authors. Lorie Ann asked me to post my own list, so here goes nothing:

7 Things You Don't Know About Me
1) I've been writing stories and songs since birth, practically.
2) I am capable of charming squirrels out of trees.
3) There is no television show I have loved more completely from start to finish than Leverage.
4) I love word play.
5) Synchronicity and causality are recurring themes in my life.
6) Chances are, I'm shorter than you.
7) I project. In more ways than one. 

So there you have it! I hope March has been lovely for all of you. Don't forget to mark your calendars for Operation Teen Book Drop 2014, which will be happening in just a few weeks on April 17th. Stay tuned to the readergirlz blog, Facebook, and Twitter to learn how you can participate and #rockthedrop!

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7 Things You Don't Know about readergirlz diva Micol Ostow
1. I've been an avid horror reader my whole life, but it took 30 books under my belt (including ghostwriting gigs) before I was ready to try a scary story of my own. That book, Amity, releases this August! (Pre-order your copy now!)

2. I have a French Bulldog named Bridget Jones -- after the book, not the movie! You'd be surprised how many people totally forget that the book came first! Grr.

3. I can sing along to all of the songs from the Buffy the Vampire Slayer musical episode. By heart. No judgements, thanks.

4. I got my start in kidlit writing as an editor. The very first book I edited on my own was celebrity bio of Jim Carrey.

5. I recently sold a chapter book series called LOUISE TRAPEZE to Random House. The only thing more terrifying than writing horror will be trying to conquer the 5-7 year-old market!

6. The house I live in in Brooklyn is over 100 years old and thus the floors are all slanted. My daughter will grow up with no true concept of physics or gravity.

7. I ran the NYC marathon in 2003 (26.2 miles). These days, a typical run for me is 3 miles or so. And when I'm not running, I am the most sedentary creature around. Just one of the reasons I love reading so much!

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In November 2008, we selected Ellen Emerson White's novel Long May She Reign to represent that month's theme, Persistence.  If you love thoughtful stories you can really sink your teeth into and you have yet to read Ellen's series of books about Meg Powers, the daughter of the President of the United States, immediately proceed to your local library or bookstore and pick them up! Make sure to read them in order:


- The President's Daughter
- White House Autumn
- Long Live the Queen
- Long May She Reign 

While you're preparing to read (or re-read) those 4 books, here are 7 personal factoids that Ellen shared with us, to share with you: 


1)  I can play the saxophone.  Prefer tenor to alto.
2)  I used to work in a factory making computers and burglar alarms, and am surprisingly good with complicated tools and machinery
3)  Can't stand seafood in any form, to the point of not even really liking those goldfish crackers
4)  I waste much too much time mired in writers' block and deep uncertainty
5)  I secretly love almost all of Shelley Long's movies
6)  I think Dispatches and The Things They Carried are possibly the two best books to come out of the Vietnam War
7)  I meant to be a lawyer and work in the Manhattan DA's office, but I guess I forgot, somewhere along the way.

Bonus: readergirlz roundtable: Long May She Reign by Ellen Emerson White

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With love from author and rgz co-founder Janet Lee Carey:

Happy 7^th Anniversary, readergirlz!

7 Things You Don’t Know About Me
1. I lived in Sweden for a year when I was four and learned to ice-skate on the Baltic Sea.
2. Spiders terrify me. I used to make my brothers suck them up with the vacuum cleaner – this made me fear vacuuming. What if the spiders crawled back out to take revenge?
3. I’m often writing in my head even while I’m shopping. This leads to small disasters like discovering I started loading someone else’s cart when I’m halfway through the store.
4. One of my books, Wenny Has Wings, became a feature film in Japan in 2008.
5. I dream of being a mermaid.
6. I try to climb a tree on my birthday each year and remember all the important things in my life starting with my first memory.
7. My cat is a dragon in disguise.

Keep updated on my books and exploits at my website or on Facebook or Goodreads.

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In 2008, we chatted with author Lisa Yee in person. In May 2010, we picked her novel Absolutely Maybe for our book club discussion. Now it's 2014, and Lisa's about to reveal...

7 Things You Don't Know About Me
1. I fail at taking naps, but want to get good at them.
2. Telephone conversations make me anxious.
3. I once had a pet chicken named Herbie Gordon.
4. Last year I rode a camel in the Dubai desert.
5. I am frequently confused over, where to put commas.
6. One time, while running the spotlight for a community theater production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, I was daydreaming and left Joseph in the dark for about a minute.
7. I was never asked back to run the spotlight.

Remember, we're catching up with spotlighted authors* all month long here at readergirlz, so come early and comment often! :)

* Yes, that was intentional. You must have seen that coming.

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Sarah Mlynowski has hung out with the readergirlz on more than one occasion. She participated in 31 Flavorites in October 2007 (and also dropped in to say hi to Lauren Myracle during Lauren's chat). She shared the story behind the cover of her book Gimme a Call with rgz diva Melissa Walker. Little Willow met her in person when E. Lockhart, Lauren Myracle, and Sarah Mlynowski were promoting their book How to Be Bad. (LW adds: That was an awesome day, y'all.)

Today, Sarah's new book DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT is available everywhere. Everywhere! In honor of the rgz anniversary and in honor of the book's release, here are 7 things you didn't know about Sarah Mlynowski... until now.
 
1. I bite my nails.
2. My little sister is a reality TV show producer.
3. The only sports team I was ever on was the newcomball team at sleepaway camp. What is newcomball? It’s like volleyball, except you catch the ball before throwing it over the net. I’m not sure it’s a real sport. Maybe I shouldn’t be too excited that I won the MIP (Most Improved Player) award in 1988.
4. Gordon Kormon spoke at my school when I was in third grade. (I know that makes him sound old, but he was only 15 at the time.)
5. After Gordon’s visit I decided to write my own book, Lizzie Forshort. It’s about a girl whose name is Elizabeth but is called Lizzie...for short! My mom typed up the manuscript for me and we sent it to Bantam Books. And that’s the story of very first rejection letter.
6. My husband proposed in Queenstown, New Zealand, in 2003. We’d started dating in1994 when we were seventeen. Took him long enough.
7. My five-year old daughter is a better cook than I am. Last week she made a purée and a meatloaf. Last week I made toast and a cup of coffee.

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7 Things You Don't Know About Me

1. I am writing this list in Muscat, Oman. I've had the chance to visit several American schools overseas in the last couple of years and am having a blast exploring new cultures.

2. I ran a marathon in 2011.

3. I finally got to hang out with Stephen Chbosky (Perks of Being a Wallflower) and am happy to report that he is a super cool guy.

4. I have become obsessed with mint lemonade.

5. I want to write a fantasy, but have not yet figured out how to do it.

6. I'm working on the text for the SPEAK graphic novel that should be published in 2016.

7. I love my life.
Want to know more secrets about your favorite authors? Keep checking this blog all month long to celebrate the seven-year anniversary of readergirlz!

BONUS: Read our roundtable discussion of PROM.

BONUS: Laurie's video celebrating the 10th anniversary of SPEAK in 2009.

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7 Things You Don't Know About Me

1. My prom dress still fits.
2. My wedding dress drowned in Hurricane Katrina.
3. I wrote a picture book about a red pencil writing a book that got 3 starred reviews.
4. I used to be an illustrator.
5. I co-write 2 tween series with Suzanne Williams, Goddess Girls and Grimmtastic Girls.
5. I can make a train choo-choo sound without moving my lips.
6. I blog with readergirlz co-founder Lorie Ann Grover at http://readertotz.blogspot.com

Want to know more secrets about your favorite authors? Keep checking the readergirlz blog all month long!

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Happy 7th birthday, rgz! Here are 7 Things You Might Not Know About Me:

1. I loooove rocking Doc Martins.
2. I was a fine art major, with a sculpture emphasis, at The University of Miami before I turned to publishing.
3. I love dressing retro, including wearing crinolines.
4. I once created 100 paintings for Cherry Coke's internet game, Time Tremors.
5. I usually write board books in the car.
6. Due to lupus, I love dark, rainy days.
7. I heart matcha green tea!

Oh, and here's my quote:

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Happy anniversary, readergirlz!
In honor of our seven-year anniversary, we're catching up with rgz divas and featured authors. Kicking off our anniversary series (or shall we say, anniver-series?) of posts is none other than our own Melissa Walker.

7 Things You Don't Know About Me:
1. I have kept a diary every year since third grade.
2. I have been known to sip pickle juice straight from the jar.
3. My dad passed away 10 years ago, but I can still hear his voice when I need advice.
4. I love the idea of collecting sea glass, but I'm lazy about actually doing it when I'm at the beach.
5. I find it delightful when cocktails are served in their proper glasses.
6. I sing show tunes to my two-year-old in hopes that one day she'll be my Broadway companion (my husband isn't into musicals).
7. I still think the world looks magic if someone is blowing bubbles nearby.

We'll be posting updates and tidbits from familiar faces all month long here at the readergirlz blog. Stay tuned and celebrate with us!

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