August 29, 2016
Are you a YA author from VA? Win $2K here!
Richmond Public Library has stepped forward to promote young adult books in Virginia - and I mean in a big way. Actually, in two thousand big ways. If you're a writer for teens in the Commonwealth, you may be eligible to win the $2,000 literature prize. (WOWZA!) YAVA (Young Adult Virginia) is an annual teen book event, now in its fourth year. It features the works of Virginia authors who have had an upper middle grade or young adult novel published that year. It's free and open to the public for teachers, librarians, and book fans who want to meet and hear from our state's fine stable of authors, whether new to publishing or seasoned. The event is scheduled for October 12, 2017, 6- 8:30 PM at the Main branch of the Richmond Public Library. Here's the Facebook page. The award is selected in a combination of public voting and judges, who pick the winner from among the finalists. Last year, Anne Holton was the honorary judge. (Yep, Tim Kaine's spouse and our Secretary of Education.) She selected Gigi Amateau's Come August, Come Freedom as the winner. Important rules to note: Winners are selected from the previous year's publications. Plus the author has to have been present at the live YAVA event at the library to be eligible. PLEASE take the time to vote on the 2015 title you think is most deserving. Then, do your YA authors a favor and circulate the survey widely. (Nobody's allowed to launch vote-for-me campaigns, though.…