UPDATE! Registration for this event is now closed! Thank you all so much. We’ll see you tonight.

My fourth published novel, WINTER, WHITE AND WICKED, released this week, friends!

It’s been seven years since my last book hit shelves, so this is an occasion to celebrate. And because you’ve all been such an instrumental part of my journey, I wanted to have a special celebration for you, the Go Teen Writers community.

As I’ve drafted and edited and done my best to grow in the craft of writing, this community has continued to support me and allow me to teach the things I’m learning myself. I appreciate that more than you’ll ever know.

So! I got together with Jill and Steph, and we decided to try our very first live Go Teen Writers event. It will be a virtual event, a lot like what you’re doing at school, and it will be held on Saturday, October 24th at 5pm, Pacific. That’s in just ten days!

To register for the event, click here. On the day of–Saturday, 10/24–you’ll receive an email with login details. That’s all you’ll need to participate.

I’m also looking for a teen writer to moderate the event! I’d love one of you to do that, so if you’re between the ages of 13 and 18, and you’re interested in moderating, please note that on the form and I’ll be in touch with you. I’m asking that those who would like to be considered, record a video introducing themselves, and then reading the summary of WINTER, WHITE AND WICKED as provided below. Do me a favor and get permission from a parent or guardian before sending it, okay? We want to be safe!

Mad Max: Fury Road meets Frozen in this striking YA fantasy

Twice-orphaned Sylvi has chipped out a niche for herself on Layce, an island cursed by eternal winter. Alone in her truck, she takes comfort in two things: the solitude of the roads and the favor of Winter, an icy spirit who has protected her since she was a child. Sylvi likes the road, where no one asks her who her parents were or what she thinks of the rebels in the north.

But when her best friend, Lenore, runs off with the rebels, Sylvi must make a haul too late in the season for a smuggler she wouldn’t normally work with, the infamous Mars Dresden.

Alongside his team—Hyla, a giant warrior woman, and Kyn, a boy with skin like stone—Sylvi will do whatever it takes to save her friend. But when the time comes, she’ll have to choose: safety, anonymity, and the favor of Winter—or the future of the island that she calls home.

The teen moderator will be responsible for two things:

1. Introducing the three authors (Jill, Steph, and myself) by reading our bios to kick off the event.
2. Running the Q&A portion of our event. (Basically, you’ll be asking us some questions. Don’t worry. We’ll collect the questions from the community ourselves and put together a script for you to read from.)

And that’s it! We thought it would be a fun time to try new things while giving us all a chance to celebrate together. There will be games and book giveaways, and I hope it’s an event that we can use to build on in the future.

If you’re not able to attend, please know how grateful I am for all the support you’ve given me and WINTER. It has been quite the road. In the coming days there will be other events listed on my website as part of the WINTER, WHITE AND WICKED virtual tour, and you’re invited to attend each of those as well.

So! Do us a favor and RSVP to the Go Teen Writers event using our handy dandy form, and be sure to include any questions you might have for Jill, Steph, and me. Your questions can be writing or publishing related, or they can be specific to WINTER, WHITE AND WICKED. Depending on how many questions we receive, we may not be able to get to them all, but that would be a good problem to have!

Remember! On the day of the event, I will send you an email with login instructions for the party. If you have any questions, please drop them in the comments section here and I’ll keep an eye on it as we move closer to the event.

THANK YOU ALL! I’m excited!

Shannon Dittemore is an author and speaker. Her books include the Angel Eyes trilogy, a supernatural foray into the realm of angels and demons, as well as the fantastical adventure novel Winter, White and Wicked. Its sequel, Rebel, Brave and Brutal is due out January 10, 2023.

Shannon’s stories feature strong female leads grappling with fear and faith as they venture into the wilds of the unknown. She’s often wondered if she’s writing her own quest for bravery again and again.

It’s a choice she values highly. Bravery. And she’s never more inspired than when young people ball up their fist and punch fear in the face.

To that end, Shannon takes great joy in working with young writers, both in person and online at Go Teen Writers, an instructional blog recognized by Writer’s Digest four years running as a “101 Best Websites for Writers” selection.

For more about Shannon and her books, please visit her website, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.