The Rise Of The Young-Adult Dystopian Novel

Posted on February 14, 2014 by Anna Patrick

YA Dystopia

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By Alexandra Israel, publicist

Young-Adult dystopian novels have hit the publishing marketplace, and hard: gone are the days when want-to-be writers dreamed of becoming the next Dante or Milton. Becoming the next Suzanne Collins, John, Green, or J.K. Rowling has taken center stage. In a recent New York Times article that was published on January 31 called “Our Young-Adult Dystopia”  the author examines the rise of dystopia novels, and how the popular uprising of this genre has scrambled reader’s sense of what is “good” literature as well as what it really means to be a writer.

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7 Literary Fiction Suggestions That Will Deepen Your Empathy

Posted on February 13, 2014 by Anna Patrick

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By Adrienne Fontaine, publicist

It seems that every week there’s a new trend article about who’s reading, why we’re reading, what reading does to us, and where reading is going.  A lot of these come to pretty obvious conclusions, yet I find myself, ironically enough, reading each one the minute it’s published.

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Romantic Books-To-Movies To Check Out This Valentine’s Day

Posted on February 12, 2014 by Anna Patrick

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Looking for a good romantic flick to watch this Friday night? Book fans should check out one of these classic books-to-movies for Valentine’s Day. But first, see what the MEDIA CONNECT team thinks about each pick!

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A Look at 10 Oscar Nominated Films and the Books That Inspired Them

Posted on February 11, 2014 by Anna Patrick

Oscar Collage_NicoleBy Nicole Martineau, associate publicist

The 86th Annual Academy Awards are almost here, and what better way to celebrate this year’s nominees than by taking a closer look at the literary works that inspired them?

Here are ten of this year’s Oscar-nominated films that book lovers across the world will be rooting for on March 2.

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MEDIA CONNECT Reflects on the 2014 Soundview Author Summit

Posted on February 10, 2014 by Anna Patrick
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A group of books by the authors at the summit

David Hahn, Managing Director, Brian Feinblum, Chief Marketing Officer, and Anna Patrick, Assistant Digital Publicist, attended the 2014 Soundview Author Summit in Atlanta last month.

The summit, which began on Sunday, January 12, and ran through Tuesday, January 14, brought business authors and book marketing professionals from across the country together for three days of thought-provoking panels, group networking opportunities, and a few community receptions.

The following narratives reflect our experiences at the summit:

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Where’s The Book Hall Of Fame?

Posted on February 6, 2014 by Anna Patrick

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By Brian Feinblum, Chief Marketing Officer and Senior Vice President

As a big baseball fan, I’m always intrigued by the annual debate that ensues as the Baseball Writers Association of America names its selections for new inductees into Baseball’s Hall of Fame. Considering that 18,000+ men have played the game at its highest level since its founding in 1869, only a few hundred have been voted to be its best-ever. What an honor that must be. It guarantees that those few players will be discussed forever at Cooperstown, where the Hall of Fame is located, and in books and other places. It got me to thinking about the Hall of Fame for books. Why isn’t there one?

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Meet our MEDIA CONNECT Team: Anna Patrick

Posted on February 5, 2014 by Anna Patrick

In this week’s Meet MEDIA CONNECT profile we spotlight assistant digital publicist Anna Patrick.

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MEDIA CONNECT: Is there a person or event that shaped you to be who you are today? How so?

Anna Patrick: I would say that aside from my parents, of course, both my grandparents, Pauline and David, shaped me into who I am today by giving me such a loving foundation. I spent nearly everyday at their house growing up, and between my grandfather’s strength and my grandmother’s endless compassion together they encompassed the epitome of what a great person can be. They showed me the depths of the human spirit through their own patience and kindness, even to the end of their battles with cancer. I still smile when I think of my grandfather, a former lawyer for the CIA and robust outdoorsman, laying in the grass playing My Little Pony with a seven year old. I can still hear my grandmother calling me into the kitchen after hours of meal preparation that I never prompted her for. I see them in nature, in a freshly fallen snow, and in the pages of a great book. There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think of them, especially all the little moments.

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15 Fascinating Facts About Your Favorite Children’s Books

Posted on February 4, 2014 by Anna Patrick

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By Johanna Dickson, Digital Publicist

When my mom was a child her favorite books were those of The Little House on the Prairie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder. As an adult, she took a Children’s Literature course that required the students to re-read their favorite books from childhood and compare and contrast their impressions. In the course of re-reading the Little House books she found herself confronted with some, what she calls “gross,” realizations: The balloons that Mary and Laura were so excited by and loved so much were made of inflated pig bladders.  It was a fact that had completely gone over her head as a child.

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2014 Trends Revealed At JWT Salon

Posted on February 3, 2014 by Anna Patrick

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By Cori Cagide, Assistant Digital Publicist

J. Walter Thompson, the world’s best-known marketing communications brand, has just released its ninth annual forecast of key trends that will drive or significantly impact consumer mindset and behavior in 2014. Every year, JWT releases a “Top 10” trend report of things to watch for in the coming year. In addition, they release category-specific trend reports and a “100 Things to Watch” report, which is the culmination of each specific trend within the original “Top 10” trend report.

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Meet our MEDIA CONNECT Team: Brian Feinblum

Posted on January 31, 2014 by Anna Patrick

In this week’s Meet MEDIA CONNECT profile we spotlight Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Brian Feinblum.

Brian has been in the book publishing and public relations industry since 1989 and is about to celebrate 15 years at MEDIA CONNECT. He lives in New Rochelle with his wife, Laura, their two young children, Ben and Olivia, and an English Bulldog named Daisy. His kids remind him that he has two fish as well.

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MC: What do you love most about working in book publishing?
Brian Feinblum: I really value the written word and the sharing of ideas. Books can inspire, inform, enlighten, and educate us. They spark debates and get people talking. The world is a better place because of books. I enjoy meeting the authors, publishers, and members of the media to discuss their lives, share stories and generate ideas in a stimulating conversation.

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