*Hey all! I’ll be appearing in Toronto at the Toronto International Festival of Authors on Saturday September 23rd with Joel Sutherland of Haunted Canada fame. He has a new spooky thriller House of Ash and Bone which drops right around then! All the details are here Hoping to get in some bookstore visits as well. And here’s a link to some pre-buzz for Heartbreak Homes and some other fine books!
*Thrilled to announce that Heartbreak Homes is the winner of the Crime Writers of Canada 2023 Best Juvenile or YA Crime Book! Nice wrap-up article here courtesy of the CBC!
*I’ll be having a busy start to the month of June (Awards season!) Read on to find out where I’ll be.
Wednesday June 7th: The 2023 Atlantic Book Awards Gala takes place at Paul O’Regan Hall in Halifax Central Library at 7:00 p.m. and will be hosted by journalist, author, and editor Lindsay Ruck (Amazing Black Atlantic Canadians). Tickets ($20) are available online now: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/atlantic-book-awards-tickets-609529317597
Tuesday June 6th, 7-8 pm: I’ll be appearing with fellow nominees, including Alexander MacLeod and Bobbi French, in Liverpool at the Queen’s County Museum, 109 Main Street, to celebrate the finalists for the Dartmouth Book Award and the Thomas Raddall Award.
Monday June 5th, 7 pm: I’ll be appearing at the Nova Scotia Book Awards Gala Evening at Brightwood Golf & Country Club, 227 School Street, Dartmouth. Tickets are available here
Sunday June 4th, 2-3:30 pm : I’ll be appearing with fellow Ann Connor Brimer nominees Nikki Davison and Vicky Grant at the Lunenburg School of the Arts for a panel discussing difficult topics in contemporary YA literature. Afterwards the 3 authors will be signing books at Block Shop Books.
*Thrilled to announce that HEARTBREAK HOMES is a Finalist for the 2023 Crime Writers of Canada Juvenile/YA Fiction Award. The winner will be announced in June.
*HEARTBREAK HOMES is a Finalist for the 2023 Ann Connor Brimer Award
for Atlantic Canadian Children’s Literature. Winner announced in June.
*So happy that HEARTBREAK HOMES is a Finalist for the 2023 Dartmouth Book Award for Fiction. Winner announced in June.
*Thrilled that HEARTBREAK HOMES will be published September 12 2023 in the US!
*I’ll be appearing at the OLA Super Conference on Friday February 3rd 2023 at 11:30 AM alongside a plethora of incredible Canadian authors. Nimbus Publishing booth #531/533 Details here
*Thrilled that HEARTBREAK HOMES is a Quill & Quire Book of the Year! (They also awarded it a star in their review).
PAST EVENTS:
*Halifax Book Launch Please join me in conversation with author Niki Davison at Woozles, 6013 Shirley Street in Halifax on November 20th at 2 pm for a reading and to celebrate the launch of my new YA Murder Mystery HEARTBREAK HOMES.
*Hal-Con 2022 October 29th and 30th, Saturday and Sunday only! Details here I’ll be signing books and panelling on YA thrillers and dark themes.
*Booktoberfest, October 24th 2022, Paul O’Regan Hall, Halifax. Details here I’ll be reading from The Grey Sisters and signing books with a bunch of other Maritimes authors!
*Official Lunenburg Launch for Heartbreak Homes, October 15th 2022, 7pm at Block Shop Books, 125 Montague Street. Details here I’ll be reading and in conversation with Jeff Mercer, deputy chief librarian of South Shore Public Libraries.
*****October 11, 2022**** Publication Date for Heartbreak Homes!!!!
*WORD ON THE STREET LETHBRIDGE*September 17 2022
Delighted to be virtually appearing at WOTS Lethbridge this year. They will have copies of Heartbreak Homes for sale! Details here
Excited to be taking part in this great series offered by the Writer’s Federation of Nova Scotia. Here’s the info: Announcing a new edition of our professional development series “Taking Care of Business.” This virtual four-part series runs on Thursday nights starting on Feb 10. Sessions include: Querying Publishers with Whitney Moran, Querying Agents with Ali McDonald and Jo Treggiari, Grant Writing with Elaine McCluskey, Enrique Ferreol from Arts Nova Scotia and Andrew Steinmetz from the Canada Council, and Working with an Editor with Marianne Ward. It’s one low price for all four sessions. Register today and join us Thursday nights on Zoom!
*Thrilled to announce that Nimbus Publishing has acquired my new YA thriller, Heartbreak Homes, and will be publishing it in the Fall of 2022. Can’t wait for you to meet Frankie, Cara and Martin!
Here’s the pitch:
The back-to-school blowout filled with drinks and drugs isn’t Frankie’s scene, but she would do anything for her childhood best friend Jessa, whose recent ugly duckling transformation has her hanging with a new crowd and vying for pretty boy Malcolm—the popular senior throwing the all-out rager on his father’s deserted development property.
Martin hasn’t heard from his old friends since his father lost everything, moved them across town, and tried to bow out with a bottle of whiskey and a fistful of pills. Until the party invitation. Between working double-shifts and avoiding his father’s sad-guilty routine, Martin decides to blow off some steam. But the party house is a monument to the bad real estate deal that left half the town in financial ruin—and the heart of all that has gone wrong for him and his family.
Cara and her crew of lost girls have been squatting in a model home on the property, stealing for their survival. The party is the perfect mark—privileged kids, abundant alcohol, and dark corners. The girls score big with their haul, but the celebration is short-lived when they learn their temporary home is at risk of discovery. They could be split up and forced back onto the unsafe streets.
In the wake of a brutal brawl, the guests find a lifeless body- and this murder is only the first. Escalating violence drives Frankie, Martin, and Cara to forge new bonds, and together unmask a killer.
Narrated from multiple perspectives, Jo Treggiari’s latest is about what compels us to kill—and the true face of justice—for fans of Karen McManus and Courtney Summers.
*Happy to announce that I’ll be a guest author at the 2021 Hal-Con Sci-Fi, Fantasy and Comic conference. It’s been over a year since I did an in-person appearance! I’m really looking forward to the panels, the guests and the fabulous cosplay. I’ll be there all day on Sunday October 24th signing, reading from my two latest books and talking about writing dark fiction for teens. Check their website for more exciting news and updates!
*I’m thrilled to announce that The Grey Sisters is a finalist for the Ann Connor Brimer Award for Children’s Literature along with fabulous author friends, Tom Ryan (Keep This To Yourself) and Andre Fenton (Annaka). The complete shortlist is available here Congratulations to all the nominees!!! The winners will be announced at a virtual gala event on May 13 2021. Please check back for details.
*Please join me every Monday evening (March 29th 2021-April 19th) 7-9 pm, for a virtual YA thrillers writing workshop (on Zoom). Here’s the course synopsis: Learn how to craft page-turning mysteries and thrillers for the young adult audience using techniques like plotting backwards, building suspense, giving your characters agency, motives and motivation, utilizing red herrings, plot twists, clues and reveals for maximum impact, and incorporating an emotional or coming-of-age change in your main character’s arc. Details here
*December 2nd 7:30 pm, Join me, Tom Ryan and Kathleen Peacock for Dark Atlantic, a Lorenzo Society Reading Series/ University of New Brunswick free event. We’ll be discussing YA, writing, and reading from our most recent thrillers. Details here
*October 21st 2020 at 7pm, I’ll be on a Zoom YA Writer panel moderated by spoken word artist Kanaar Bell, with two amazing Nova Scotian writers, Tom Ryan and Andre Fenton, talking about our writing processes and all the reasons we love YA lit. This will be organized by the Writer’s Federation of Nova Scotia. Details here
*September 24 2020- I’ll be the special guest children’s author at the 5th annual Lunenburg Lit Fest Stay tuned for info about the time and venue. I’ll be reading from The Grey Sisters and answering questions from the audience.
*September 1 2020- The Grey Sisters paperback comes out!!!! This book has been such a wild ride with more trade reviews and awards nominations than any of my previous books. I am so grateful!
*April 20 2020 Thrilled that The Grey Sisters has been short-listed for a 2020 Arthur Ellis Award, recognizing excellence in Canadian crime writing. Good luck to all the nominees!
*Wednesday November 6th, 6:30-8:30 pm- The official Halifax launch will be held at the Writer’s Federation of Nova Scotia, 1113 Marginal Road (near Garrison Brewery and the farmer’s market.) I’ll be reading from The Grey Sisters and conversating with enigmatic author and journalist, Sarah Sawler. Book selling courtesy of Canada’s oldest children’s bookstore, the mighty WOOZLES!
*A nice review in the The Globe and Mail (October 31 issue) .
“There’s a punk sensibility on offer here, a raw look at our society’s underside. She keeps the pace of the Governor-General’s Award-nominated book brisk, with raging bears and shootouts, but she has also given the human sisters who go on this pilgrimage distinct – and nuanced – approaches to the grief they’re trying to weather.”
*The Grey Sisters blog tour kicks off October 14 thru October 31 (my favourite day!) Follow along for giveaways and to check out interviews and reviews. Thanks to all these amazing book bloggers!!!
*The Grey Sisters official launch will be happening at Lexicon Books on Saturday October 5th at 7 pm. A reading from the book plus me in conversation with Jeff Mercer, Deputy Chief Librarian of the South Shore Public Library. I can guarantee a good time or at least cookies and Prosecco!
*Honoured and so happy that The Grey Sisters has been named a finalist in the Governor General’s Literary Awards for Young People’s Literature. Congratulations to all the shortlist nominees!!! You can read about it here
*First trade review for The Grey Sisters! BCCB calls it “heart-pounding… with a strong-girl vibe … enough twists and surprises to provide an up-all-night read with a hard-won redemptive, if not entirely happy, ending.”
*2nd trade review! Kirkus says: “Treggiari (Blood Will Out, 2018, etc.) offers chills both subtle and shocking, and readers won’t be able to turn the pages fast enough….Jaw-dropping twists and a distinct Deliverance vibe elevate this riveting thriller.”
*3rd trade review! CM:Canadian Review of Materials calls it ‘ a well-developed psychological thriller filled with unexpected plot twists that will leave readers guessing right until the very end. The book speaks to many important topics of interest relevant to teens, such as family, friendships, grief and loss, conflict, survival, identity, resilience, and growth and change. Highly Recommended
*4th trade review! School Library Journal says ‘Told in alternating points of view, Treggiari’s writing encapsulates the cold, damp woods. Readers will feel the chill in their bones…VERDICT Perfect for fans of Karen M. McManus.’
*5th trade review! Booklist Online says ‘this is a well-rounded story of lives that intersect in unexpected ways. The engrossing narration will draw in readers looking for a creepy modern thriller.’
*6th trade review! Young Adulting says ‘ The pace… is unrelenting. The book is almost impossible to put down.’
*7th trade review! Canadian Children’s Book News says ‘…Treggiari’s multi perspective novel is captivating, and mildly unnerving…mixes common with uncommon themes, adding dark dimensions…an excellent reminder that any battle is survivable and that there is always a reason for hope.’
*8th trade review! Atlantic Books Today says ‘ Tension runs high throughout the story as unexpected revelations mount, and readers will enjoy the riveting plot, highly sympathetic characters and richly complex relationships.’
*9th trade review! Resource Links Magazine says ‘..a powerful and haunting story that will provide the readers with an adrenaline rush at so many levels, right to the last page. Treggiari’s writing is excellent in the execution of this psychological thriller.’
*10th trade review! Quill & Quire says ‘a thrilling ride, an unrelenting narrative in which the suspense tightens to the breaking point.’
*September 24 2019—Pub date for The Grey Sisters, my new YA thriller. Can’t wait for you all to read it!!!!!Here’s a synopsis:
Two years after a deadly plane crash, best friends D and Spider head into the mountains to face their grief. A gripping psychological thriller for fans of The Cheerleaders and Sadie.
D and Spider have always been close friends, and they are further united in their shared heartbreak: they both lost siblings in a horrific plane crash two years earlier. A chance sighting of a beloved cuddly toy in a photograph of the only survivor spurs D to finally seek closure. She and Spider and their friend, Min, set off on a road trip to the mountainside site of that terrible crash.
Ariel has lived on the mountain all her life. She and her extended family are looked down upon by neighboring townsfolk and she has learned to live by her wits, trusting few people outside of her isolated, survivalist community. A terrifying attack sends her down the mountain for help; on her way, she comes upon the three girls — a chance encounter that will have far-reaching consequences for them all.
*July 2 2019- The Blood Will Out paperback releases. This will have a new cover!!!!
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*October 20th 2018, I’ll be at the 15th Annual YA Literature Conference in Chicago (hosted by Anderson Books). Here’s a link to the Facebook page
*Blood Will Out, Official Blog Tour II, August 13th – August 24th, hosted by JeanBookNerd
featuring interviews and giveaways.
*Thursday July 19th 7:50 am, Global News Morning TV, Halifax, interview with Andrea Dion and Paul Brothers
*Thursday July 19th 8:45 am, CTV Atlantic, Morning Live, Halifax, interview with Kelly Linehan
That’s right, people, not one but two interviews back to back.
*Wednesday July 18th 6:00-8:30 pm, Inside the Mind of a Serial Killer: Dual Perspectives from Book & Film Halifax Central Library, Room 301- reading and Q& A plus special screening of Split starring James McAvoy.
*Signing- Saturday June 16th at 3-4:30 pm, Bookmark, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island (172 Queen Street)
*Reading & Signing- Saturday June 9th at 7 pm, Lexicon Books, Lunenburg- the book launch is happening here!!!!
*Tuesday June 5th- Blood Will Out Pub Date!!!!
*Sunday May 27th 2018 I’ll be in belle Montreal for the inaugural Mtl YA Lit Fest. Stay tuned for details! Here’s the line-up of fabulous authors announced so far: Nic Stone, Sarah Mlynowski, E.K. Johnston, Adi Alsaid, Monique Polak, Vicky Grant, Vikki Van Sickle, Gloria Chao, Chantel Guertin, Aimee Friedman, Karl Kerschl, Sandra Gulland, Teresa Toten, S.M. Bieko, JF Dubeau and me!
*NEW BOOK COMING Y’all- Spring 2018!!
This from Publisher’s Marketplace:
ASHES, ASHES author Jo Treggiari’s NEEDS MUST, about a small town girl caught in the web of a serial killer intent on completing their masterpiece, with alternating perspectives between predator and prey, to Lynne Missen at Penguin Teen Canada, for Spring 2018 publication, in a two-book deal, with a second untitled novel to follow, by Ali McDonald at The Rights Factory (world).
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* Saturday October 18, 2-4pm: I’ll be reading from LOVE YOU LIKE SUICIDE at the Becoming Fierce Halifax Launch, along with some other writers featured in the anthology BECOMING FIERCE: TEEN STORIES IRL.
Location: Just Us Cafe, 5896 Spring Garden Rd, Halifax, NS, Canada.
Please come out if you’re local!
* September 23 2014. I am very proud to be included in the anthology: BECOMING FIERCE: TEEN STORIES IRL which is being published by Fierce Ink Press. Here’s the line-up:
These Memories Can’t Wait by Jamie Fitzpatrick (Newfoundland)
Say It’s Okay by Ben Boudreau (Nova Scotia)
Love You Like Suicide by Jo Treggiari (Nova Scotia)
Cuisvé by Chris Benjamin (Nova Scotia)
The Long Last Year by Gerard Collins (Newfoundland)
Some of My Parts by Alison DeLory (Nova Scotia)
Before I Was Me by Chad Pelley (Newfoundland)
Diary of a Fluky Kid by Lee D. Thompson (New Brunswick)
Prince Nameless by Patti Larsen (Prince Edward Island)
I Used to Think I’d Make a Good Boy by Cale Liom (Prince Edward Island)
* September 2013. A very limited print edition of LOVE YOU LIKE SUICIDE is available as a special issue of COMETBUS zine. It’s number 55 1/2 and available in only select stores in the US. From reader feedback I’ve received, I think Atomic, Quimby’s, Wooden Shoe and probably a few shops in California have or have had it. Good hunting!
* ASHES, ASHES is a nominated book on the WAYRBA (West Australian Young Readers’ Book Awards) books for older readers list. Check out all the wonderful selections here:
* January 2013 is the publication date for the Ashes, Ashes paperback edition. I’ll probably have a contest or do a giveaway so stay tuned!
*Looks like there’ll be a FIERCE SHORTS reading event at Just Us coffee shop in Halifax on December 1st 2012 with FIERCE INK authors Patti Larsen, Colleen McKie and me. I’ll post more details as I get them.
* October 9, 2012 is the E-pub date for my creative non-fiction piece Love You Like Suicide which will published by the wicked fierce ladies of FIERCE INK PRESS. Out now!!!
* On May 5th 2012, I’ll be at The New Book Bash at the Writer’s Federation (1113 Marginal Road, Halifax) talking about Ashes, Ashes with a bunch of other cool, local authors. The festivities kick off at 7 pm and this is OPEN to the PUBLIC so come one come all.
* May 15th 2012, I’ll be in Toronto for the Forest of Reading gala event in the company of these literati: Don Calame, Gail Sidonie Sobat, Don Aker, Kelley Armstrong, Drew Hayden Taylor, Lesley Anne Cowan, Donald Reid, Neil Pasricha, Jonathan Webb, Mike Leonetti, Kate Scowen/Peter Mitchell, Tom Rand, Wes “Maestro” Williams, Scott Chantler. You can go here to the official site for ticket info, times and further information.
* June 6th 2012 I’m leading a mini-writing workshop for Teen Girls with the Striking Balance group located at the Second Story Women’s Centre in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. 6:30 -8:00 pm.
* I’m honored to announce that Ashes, Ashes has been shortlisted for Saskatchewan’s 2012 Snow Willow Award. This year’s awesome authors include Vicki Grant, Valerie Sherrard, Kelley Armstrong and Kenneth Oppel. Check here for details.
* Ashes, Ashes has been nominated for a White Pine award, part of the Forest of Reading program helmed by the Ontario Library Association. You can check out all 10 awesome nominees in the grades 9-12 category here. I am so thrilled!
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- Sunday, February 6th, 2011 I’ll be in Halifax, Nova Scotia at the Spring Atlantic Trade Bookfair signing advance reading copies of Ashes, Ashes! Stay tuned for more details…
- Turns out I’m speaking at this engagement. For 10 minutes. About what, I do not know. Should have read the email more carefully.
- I had so much FUN!!! Wonderful to meet a bunch of booksellers from around these parts. I look forward to making it as easy as possible for them to sell bounteous copies of Ashes, Ashes- not sure exactly how, but I may pimp my 3 year old. And my Scholastic Canada sales rep, Cathy, is the cat’s potatoes.
- May 12-28 Dystopian Domination Blog Event: 14 authors, 16 contests, 2 prize packages. The Ashes, Ashes interview/giveaway is on May 23.
- May 16-26 The Teen Book Scene Blog Tour starts.
- Wednesday June 1– Ashes, Ashes is in stores!!!!!Crack open the champagne!
- June 1 The audio book comes out too, featuring an in-depth author interview.
- June 14, 1pm I’ll be reading and talking about writing with the students of the New Ross school.
- June 14-21
The Official Plague & Pestilence Book Blog Tour kicks off. You can read interview with Midnight Blooms here and scroll down for the full schedule.
- June 18 Atlantic Author Day. I’ll be at Woozles Children’s Bookstore in Halifax from 11 am to 12pm, and Chapters, Bayer’s Lake from 2 to 3pm, signing books.
- Friday, June 24th I’ll be in beautiful Tatamagouche, Nova Scotia at Fables Literary Pub (three of my favorite words!) doing a reading and teen book discussion. Details to follow…
- It appears that the German edition of the book will be pubbed July 1 2011. I have no idea how they can put it out so fast. If I have any German readers, please let me know how you like it!
- July 9, 2 pm– Reading at The Bridgewater Public Library, Bridgewater, NS.
- Just found out that audio book rights were sold. Also German book rights. Das ist sehr gut! More details to follow.
- Saturday/Sunday, September 24th and 25th, 2011 I’ll be in Halifax, Nova Scotia at the Word on the Street Literary Festival reading and signing copies of Ashes, Ashes! Stay tuned for more details…