First Friday Author Feature: Ellen Schreiber

This month's author feature is Ellen Schreiber, NY Times bestselling novelist of the teen series Vampire Kisses -- about a goth girl named Raven from Dullsville who pursues a "cryptic romance" with a vampire. I feature Schreiber not only because she happens to be my second cousin, but because her path to publication is a unique one.

Before she published the seven volumes in the series (with one more to come), as well as several adaptions into a Manga series called Blood Relatives, she finished several young adult novels. Her first book, about a rock star called Johnny Lighting, was picked up by her brother Mark Schreiber's publisher in Belgium and first printed in Dutch.

When she later learned that a new editor at HarperCollins would be accepting unsolicited manuscripts, Schreiber sent her Teenage Mermaid. Not only did they publish it, but they also accepted Comedy Girl and the first book in the Vampire Kisses series.

Booklist, a review journal of the American Library Association, wrote:

"Schreiber uses a careful balance of humor, irony, pathos, and romance as she develops a plot ... while exploring how a girl like Raven finds ways to cope with a bully who is both class- and gender-conscious of his supposed superiority."

Lest you think Schreiber just got lucky, keep in mind that twice she took advantage of an opportunity to go public with her work. And she had completed several books just waiting for the right timing.

On her website Schreiber describes her writing process:

Back in that summer of 1998 when everyone was out getting a tan and jumping in the pool, I was holed up in my apartment with my computer that faced a bare white wall. I began writing and creating the kind of character I wanted to read about-- a headstrong girl, who was fearless, feisty, and confident. 

To hear more about Ellen Schreiber and her books, check out her podcast here.

Her new book, Once in a Full Moon, comes out December 8!