Upcoming Events
11th Annual Pacific Northwest Children's Book Conference
July 19-23, 2010
http://ceed.pdx.edu/children/
I'll be on the faculty for this fantastic weeklong conference for writers and illustrators, on the campus of Reed College in Portland, Oregon. Liz Bicknell, editorial director of Candlewick Press, is the special guest. This is the conference where I met my editor!
YA Extravaganza!
Saturday, April 10, 2010
4807 NE Fremont Street
Portland, OR 97213 Map it!
http://achildrensplacebookstore.com
"Join some of the Pacific Northwest's finest YA Authors, Anne Osterlund, author of Aurelia and Academy 7; Mary Jane Beaufrand, author of Primevera; Sara Ryan, author of Empress of the World; and Emily Whitman, author of Radiant Darkness, for readings, and a panel on writing books for young adults. Come with questions, and leave with signed books!"
Wy'east Book Shoppe & Art Gallery
Saturday, February 27, 2:00
67195 East US Highway 26, Suite A
Welches, OR 97067 Map it!
www.wyeast-online.com
Join us as Emily shares how she came to write the book and the process of writing. She will share some of her favorite scenes, answer questions and also talk about her next book.
Oregon Coast 9/26
Saturday, September 26, 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. Map it!
Reading, signing, and chatting at the Canyon Way Bookstore and Restaurant, 1216 Canyon Way, Newport, OR 97365, on the beautiful Oregon coast.
Hood River 12/5
Saturday, December 5, 3:30 – 5:30 p.m. Map it!
I'll be at the Waucoma Bookstore with Radiant Darkness, and my friend Rosanne Parry will be presenting her incandescent Heart of a Shepherd. Waucoma Bookstore, 212 Oak St., Hood River OR 97301.
Reviews
Radiant Darkness is the #1 selection by Indie Booksellers for the Summer 2009 Kids' List! Here’s what one of them says: "Emily Whitman has written an inventive retelling of the myth of Persephone's kidnapping by Hades and her stay in the Underworld. In this version, she is a willing participant in the seduction, but then has to establish herself as an equal in her relationship with Hades. Are there modern overtones? Yes, and they help make Radiant Darkness a very good story.'"
— Nicola Rooney, Nicola's Books, Ann Arbor, MI
See the IndieBound list here.
From Booklist: "In her debut offering, Whitman shapes the Greek myth of Persephone into a steamy coming-of-age novel laced with feminist sensibilities. . . . Whitman amplifies both the heady romance and Earth-goddess themes with poetic, sensual descriptions of nature’s intoxicating fertility; and she skillfully humanizes Persephone with archetypal scenes of mother-daughter tension. Many mortal teens will see themselves in the young goddess, as she realizes her own talents and strength and grows into herself.'"
Best-selling author Eloisa James writes about Radiant Darkness in the Barnes & Noble Review Spotlight: "Emily Whitman's Radiant Darkness is a fascinating, complex version of Persephone. . . . Whitman has captured the laments of a thousand (mortal) Persephones, hankering after red lipstick and the bad boy down the block. The pleasure of this book springs partly from hearing snide teen talk with a mythological bent, and partly from the way in which Persephone runs into Hades' arms -- and learns to regret it.'"
Award-winning author Susan Fletcher says: "Radiant Darkness is a delicious read: funny, sensuous, lyrical, and wise.'"
School Library Journal says: "Whitman has cleverly fit an ancient story into a trendy modern formula—a beautiful, innocent, privileged girl (Persephone) meets a powerful, wealthy bad boy (Hades). . . . Teens will likely relate to Persephone, who cannot stand the thought of spending eternity in the prison she feels her mother has constructed for her, and her transformation from girlish dreaminess to strong, thoughtful woman will resonate with them."
From Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books: "There's originality and flair in the picture of a world where the gods have both the familiarity and star appeal of glossy media personalities, and Whitman makes Hades and Persephone (Hadephone? Persades?) a glam celebrity couple that everyone will want to read about."
Close to 70 people packed the Looking Glass Bookstore in Portland for the Radiant Darkness launch and signing on May 1st.
Three readers preparing to descend into the underworld.
