BLOG TOUR: We Are the Wildcats by Siobhan Vivian | Wallpaper Designs

Title: We Are the Wildcats
Author: Siobhan Vivian
Pages: 368 pages
Release Date: March 31st, 2020
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary

A toxic coach finds himself outplayed by the high school girls on his team in this deeply suspenseful novel, which unspools over twenty-four hours through six diverse perspectives.

Tomorrow, the Wildcat varsity field hockey squad will play the first game of their new season. But at tonight’s team sleepover, the girls are all about forging the bonds of trust, loyalty, and friendship necessary to win. 

Everything hinges on the midnight initiation ceremony—a beloved tradition and the only facet of being a Wildcat that the girls control. Until now.

Coach—a handsome former college player revered and feared in equal measure—changes the plan and spins his team on a new adventure. One where they take a rival team’s mascot for a joyride, crash a party in their pajamas, break into the high school for the perfect picture.

But as the girls slip out of their comfort zone, so do some long-held secrets. And just how far they’re willing to go for their team takes them all—especially Coach—by surprise.

A testament to the strength and resilience of modern teenage girls, We Are the Wildcats will have readers cheering 

Buy now! 

Amazon | Goodreads | Barnes & Noble 

Here is a peek at the very rough sketch I did for this wallpaper project. You can see the ghost-like figure of a tiger in the center (because I can't really draw) and the quote. The elements shifted slightly from sketch to final because I didn't take into account of the actual wallpaper's orientation (which I should have definitely done!). I was inspired by the We Are the Wildcats marketing campaign imagery which is where the idea of the tiger and scratchy texture originated. From the beginning, I knew I wanted to bring out a boldness into the colors and overall energy, so I chose a bright palette and enlarged the tiger. Added some texture and ta-da!

iPhone 6/7/8+

iPhone X

1280x800

1440x900

Credits: Tiger (Pixabay)

POC in Pub Presents: Diversity in Design

Last month, People of Color in Publishing organized a "Diversity in Design" event at Penguin Random House. Aimed at recent graduates and junior/senior art students of color, the event had me equal parts excited and nervous. While I already have some design experience in publishing, I knew this would be another great opportunity to network and hear from professionals.

Views from Penguin Random House

We have all heard the phrase "(Insert any industry) is so white," and the design/publishing industry is no different. Walking into the room of the event and seeing people of so many different races and ethnicities was welcoming and hopeful. As I looked around and saw my peers carrying their backpacks and portfolios, I realized this was the next generation of designers who would change the status quo.

After checking in and piling food on our plates, the event kicked off with a panel of Penguin Random House designers. The speakers included a junior designer, creative director, assistant director (digital campaigns & media planning), senior designer, junior art director, and marketing manager. They spoke about their paths to design as well as to their current position, being the only POC in the room, and how being a POC can consciously or subconsciously affect our perspectives. Furthermore, they showed a sampling of their design work (aka book covers).

In the next portion of the event, a different set of speakers presented best practices and tips for resume, cover letter, website, and portfolio. They showed examples of such from applicants and people who were subsequently hired. Lastly, we had the opportunity for a designer to review our portfolio and have an intimate conversation. I spoke with an art director and we discussed my portfolio, my future goals as a designer, and how it is possible to integrate your personal passion projects into your work career.

Thank you to People of Color in Publishing for setting up this wonderful event and the Penguin Random House employees who shared their time and experience with us! I recommend visiting People Of Color in Publishing's website if you are a person of color wanting to pursue a career in publishing.

People of Color in Publishing

A shelfie at Penguin Random House :)

A grassroots organization created by book publishing professionals dedicated to supporting, empowering, and uplifting racially and ethnically marginalized members throughout the industry, we seek to create a safe and inclusive space celebrating and promoting diversity.

Through a planning committee and network of chaired subcommittees, we advocate and foster career development and advancement of people of color (including Native/Indigenous) professionals’
and writers’ work.

How I Got An Internship At HarperCollins | Part 1

Hello, my name is Gabby (short for Gabrielle). I am one of the co-bloggers at The Book's Buzz. You've probably seen some of my reviews floating around on the blog, but today on a more serious note, I will be talking about my experience working at the publishing behemoth, HarperCollins. 

Last year, I interned at HarperCollins during the fall semester of my senior year. The program spanned over 10 weeks. At HarperCollins, I was the Editorial and Design intern for Harper Design. The imprint specializes in “fashion, television, art and popular culture, music, crafts, lifestyle, and interior design” which was a perfect match for me! My internships in the past have also been in design but in different fields such as fashion and media. Little by little, I built up my design experience in and out of school. In this 3-series post, I will be explaining my experience from the initial application to my time at HarperCollins.

This was actually my third round applying for publishing internships. I was studying Packaging Design and torn between working in branding or publishing for my first job out of college. I was lucky to have a schedule with two days off (even though I had a night class on one of them) and thought it was now or never. I knew I wouldn’t be able to have another chance to apply for a publishing internship once I finished school.

For my application, I filled all the required information and included a cover letter and resume (also required). In my one-page cover letter, I wrote about why I wanted to work at HarperCollins (as opposed to other publishers), the skills and experience that proved my capabilities for this role, and my dual love for design and books. Since I was applying for a design position, I also submitted my portfolio (PDF) and website. I would recommend sending a portfolio of your work whether that be writing samples or mock projects that proves your skills and strengths beyond what you say. As I mentioned earlier, I was in Packaging Design and therefore lacked publication work. To supplement my packaging projects, I joined Blush, a “student-run beauty and fashion publication” at school, where I was a layout designer. As a result, I had branding/packaging and publication work, thus I had a lot of projects that I could and pick and choose to include. Participating in the magazine allowed me the unique experience of collaborating with writers and working with an art director (who is an amazing designer and happens to be my BFF!)

I wasn’t betting on anything and to be honest I was afraid of the stress that the internship would bring. However, I received an email from HarperCollins asking me for a quick phone call. Holy crap! This was big! The fact that they even contacted me was a shock.

I remembered taking the call between the shelves in the library filled with nervousness. The recruiter explained to me that the position would be on the adult side with Harper Design. It was a short call about the responsibilities and tasks I would be taking on as an intern. After letting her know that I was still interested, we scheduled a meeting for my interview.

Research your interviewer and the company beforehand so you can go in with some knowledge. I looked at her Linkedin, social media, published work, etc. and found an old article that she wrote about on how to land a job at HarperCollins. I also researched any recent news I could find about the company and imprint. Having background information prepared me for the interview; for example, I could mention the article that she had written. However, I wouldn’t recommend speaking about information found exclusively the interviewer’s social media.

On the day of the interview, I saw Adam Silvera in the lobby which was a nice surprise! When I met with the recruiter, we talked about why I wanted to work here and my experience thus far. An important thing to do at all interviews is to ask questions. What are my responsibilities? Who do I report to? What your favorite part about working here? Engaging with them demonstrates that you are serious about the position and it also helps to clarify any confusion you may have. I actually had a small hiccup in the interview, which I apologized and then took a second to recompose myself. A small mishap is okay — don’t rush, take your time to absorb as much information out of the interview and show them why you are the best person for this job.

Afterward, I met with a member of the Harper Design team. We had a brief conversation about my skills, where I was at currently in school, and I also presented my portfolio. Again, I asked questions such as about the size of the team and the workload. Lastly, I sent a thank you note to both thanking for their time, reiterating my appreciation, and a detail from the interview. A personal detail goes a long way in helping them remember who you are because they interview a lot of people.

...And a day later, I received an email asking for me to call them, so I knew this had to be good news! They called letting me know that I received the internship and I was stunned! I didn’t believe it, really. Immediately after, I messaged Alex letting her know who freaked out a lot more on my behalf.

The whole process took around a month from the initial contact to my starting day. In the next post, I’ll be discussing my experience during the internship. If you have any questions, let me know in the comments and I’ll round them up for a Q&A post at the end!

From Twinkle, With Love by Sandhya Menon

Title: From Twinkle, With Love
Author: Sandhya Menon
Pages: 328 pages
Release Date: May 22nd, 2018
Source: Hardback from the library
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Rating: 4/5 stars

Aspiring filmmaker and wallflower Twinkle Mehra has stories she wants to tell and universes she wants to explore, if only the world would listen. So when fellow film geek Sahil Roy approaches her to direct a movie for the upcoming Summer Festival, Twinkle is all over it. The chance to publicly showcase her voice as a director? Dream come true. The fact that it gets her closer to her longtime crush, Neil Roy—a.k.a. Sahil’s twin brother? Dream come true x 2.

When mystery man “N” begins emailing her, Twinkle is sure it’s Neil, finally ready to begin their happily-ever-after. The only slightly inconvenient problem is that, in the course of movie-making, she’s fallen madly in love with the irresistibly adorkable Sahil.

Twinkle soon realizes that resistance is futile: The romance she’s got is not the one she’s scripted. But will it be enough?

Told through the letters Twinkle writes to her favorite female filmmakers, From Twinkle, with Love navigates big truths about friendship, family, and the unexpected places love can find you.

Buy it now!

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble 

Notes On A Book: Stay Sweet by Siobhan Vivian

"Notes On A Book" is new series on the blog hosted by blogger Gabrielle (Gabby). These post-it notes resemble real notes that she took while reading the book. This series will provide a quick, succinct review that will give readers insight into what Gabrielle was thinking at the exact moment of reading each page of the book. 

Title: Stay Sweet
Author: Siobhan Vivian
Pages: 368 pages
Release Date: April 24th, 2018
Source: Hardcover
Genre: Contemporary, Young Adult
Rating: 4.5/5 stars

A summer read about first love, feminism, and ice cream.

Summer in Sand Lake isn’t complete without a trip to Meade Creamery—the local ice cream stand founded in 1944 by Molly Meade who started making ice cream to cheer up her lovesick girlfriends while all the boys were away at war. Since then, the stand has been owned and managed exclusively by local girls, who inevitably become the best of friends. Seventeen-year-old Amelia and her best friend Cate have worked at the stand every summer for the past three years, and Amelia is “Head Girl” at the stand this summer. When Molly passes away before Amelia even has her first day in charge, Amelia isn’t sure that the stand can go on. That is, until Molly’s grandnephew Grady arrives and asks Amelia to stay on to help continue the business…but Grady’s got some changes in mind…

Buy it now!

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble