A week ago, I attended the launch party for K.M. Walton’s debut novel, CRACKED at the Chester County Book Company.  It was so fabulously successful it took me two hours to see Kate herself and have my book signed!

But no worries! Waiting is not a problem when you’re in good company, and I was.  The first person I ran into was a Twitter friend, Tiffany E, who introduced me to a bunch of other authors — all local — who have debut books coming out in 2012! I honestly had no idea there were so many, and two hours waiting in line passed quickly in the company of:

Tiffany Schmidt, author of SEND ME A SIGN (Fall 2012, Walker Books), about a popular cheerleader who decides not to tell her friends she’s been diagnosed with leukemia in the hopes of retaining a normal life while she can.

Elisa Ludwig, author of PRETTY CROOKED (March 2012, Harper Collins), a modern day take on Robin Hood, when a girl decides to take from the rich kids at her school and give to the poor.

Eve Marie Mont, author of A BREATH OF EYRE (March 2012, Kensington Books), the first of a planned trilogy about a girl transported into her favorite classic novels, Jane Eyre, The Scarlet Letter, and The Phantom of the Opera.

Lizzie K. Foley, author of REMARKABLE (April 2012, Dial Books), a middle grade novel about Jane, the only un-remarkable person in the entire town of Remarkable, where everybody is a genius … except her.

If you haven’t yet purchased your copy of CRACKED, what are you waiting for?  And if you don’t know K.M. Walton, then I suggest you introduce yourself on Twitter or some other forum, because she’s awesome and an inspiration!