Under the right (terrible) circumstances, everything in BUMPED and THUMPED could happen. Two recent headlines show how it’s already happening. Readers, I present to you: real-life MiNet and FunBumps.

See me in Chicago! Don't miss my dramatic gestures and facial expressions.

I’m so happy to be attending the 2011 NCTE/ALAN Conference in Chicago. I’ll be wandering the convention floor (inevitably overwhelmed by it all) from Saturday, November 19th until Tuesday, November 22nd. Here are specifics on where I’ll be and when:

Sunday, November 20th @11-11:30AM HarperCollins Booth #513

Signing copies of BUMPED (with a sneak peek of THUMPED)

Tuesday, November 22nd @12:30-1:15*PM

Chicago HIlton and Towers, Grand Ballroom, 2nd FL.

Interactive Panel: FUTURE WORLDS

with: Veronica Roth, James Dashner and Don Testa

*I’ll be available to sign copies of my books afterward. I’ll stay until I have to leave for the airport.

“BUMPED is a hilarious book, building on some of today’s obsessions: MTV’s 16& Pregnant, celebrity bump watches, and aggressive marketing to teens…Melody’s world is one where both teen boys and girls, are encouraged and rewarded to get pregnant. Not to be parents; drugs and societal pressure help prevent the teens from bonding with the ‘delivery.’ I love this world-building; some of it is deliciously ‘oh come on’ over the top and other parts are ‘oh…I can see that happening.’ ” –School Library Journal

[full review here]

The second in this two-book series, THUMPED, goes on sale April 24th, 2012. Thanks to all of you who have already added it to your To Read list!

I don’t have an on sale date yet, but it will probably be Spring 2012.

P.S. This was never conceived as a trilogy. Just a book and a sequel. The cliffhangers end here.

BUMPED received the highest possible 5 1/2 Gold Star rating from Romantic Times book reviews!

“BUMPED is wonderfully original, with an extremely well thought-out dystopian society, the details of which the reader deduces through context and dialogue, rather than via a dull prologue. The protagonists begin as manifestations of two extreme points, but morph into stunningly human portrayals of conflict and a search for autonomy. McCafferty’s future echoes just enough of current events to seem chillingly possible.”

Read full recap/review here.

Get in on the conversation today! Download this brilliant BUMPED Discussion Guide to encourage discussion and debate. (SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT!)

Thanks to all of you who have already bought BUMPED. Remember: I want to thank you by giving away autographed stuff. Here’s what to do:

1. Buy a copy of BUMPED. I’m bothered by reports from readers who say they’ve had trouble finding it at their local bookstore. For reasons unclear to me, some stores may not be stocking it until May 1st. In any case, PLEASE ASK FOR IT. That’s the only way the seller will know there’s a demand for it.

2. Take a picture of yourself posing with the hardcover or the cover picture on your e-reader. (ARCs or NetGalley don’t count. Sorry.)

3. Make that picture your Twitter or Facebook icon, or post it on your blog.

4. Tweet, update your status, or blog about how BUMPED is on sale NOW and whatever else you’d like to say about it.

5. Email megan@meganmccafferty.com with your mailing address and the link to your photo/post with “BUMPED BOOKMARK” as the subject heading.

I’ve been so thrilled by responses like this:

“BUMPED is going to make a lot of people very upset, and that is an AWESOME thing…There is nothing depressing about this tale as it is packed with McCafferty’s trademark snarky wit and sympathetic characters. Sure, the alternate-reality near-future in which the characters live is a bit bleak, but honestly, it’s only a more extreme version of our present society. This is part of the diabolical appeal of the book and the part that will surely lead to lots of controversy: amid all the humor and exaggeration is a bitingly honest commentary on modern society and our current values.” Cloudy With a Chance of Books

I hope BUMPED makes YOU laugh and think, too.

1. Rock Band. I looooove Rock Band. I will definitely play some Rock Band today. It’s very therapeutic. When I play Rock Band, I don’t think about anything else but Rock Band, which is rare because I have trouble shutting up my brain. I’m pretty much an expert on vocals and can maybe go medium on bass and drums which isn’t that impressive but who cares? It’s Rock Band and it’s fun.  My band is Mental Regional, which was the nickname for my high school.

2. Green Tea and Dark Chocolate. I gave up Diet Coke and coffee over two years ago. Green tea and dark chocolate  kept me alive during the headachey, cranky detox. They help keep me stable on days like today.

3. Reviews like this from Steph Su Reads: “BUMPED is a layered book that will be good for multiple rereads, as each successive reread reveals a new layer of characterization, wordplay, and world-building that you may have noticed in passing in the first read-through but become really impressed by only in subsequent rereads. This, I think, is Megan McCafferty’s ultimate gift as an author: she has a fierce talent for and dedication to writing books that can be enjoyed at multiple levels, good for a permanent fixture on your reread shelf. Avid lovers of her Jessica Darling books, such as myself, will, I think, appreciate that the most about her first foray outside of Jessica’s well-known world, and as a result I’m really looking forward to the sequel and whatever Megan has to share with us next.”

4. My Top 40 Songs of All Time. This playlist is the soundtrack to my life. I highly recommend that you put together such a playlist on days you need to feel invincible. I listened to “I Want it That Way” three times this morning.

5. You, the readers. Thanks in advance to those who are coming out to Princeton tonight to celebrate Pub Day. I know I’ll see family, friends and a lot of unfamiliar faces too, which is how I like it.  And for those who can’t be there, remember: Buy BUMPED and I’ll thank you with an autographed bookmark. You are why I do what I do and can’t imagine doing anything else.

And now I’m getting away from my computer to talk a walk in the glorious sunshine which sounds totally corny but I don’t care. The sunshine is also something that I’m grateful for, and exercise. Let’s face it, this is a very incomplete list.

And I’m grateful to be able to say that.

1. Buy a copy of BUMPED in an online or offline bookstore…which is something I hope you were already planning to do.

2. Take a picture of yourself posing with the hardcover or the cover picture on your e-reader. (ARCs or NetGalley don’t count. Sorry.)

3. Make that picture your Twitter or Facebook icon, or post it on your blog.

4. Tweet, update your status, or blog about how BUMPED is on sale April 26th and whatever else you’d like to say about it.

5. Email megan@meganmccafferty.com with your mailing address and the link to your photo/post with “BUMPED BOOKMARK” as the subject heading.

The first 250 readers to respond will get a bookmark personally signed by me with my very own Sharpie. BONUS GIVEAWAY WITHIN THE GIVEAWAY: I’ll pick 10 readers from that pool of 250 to win personalized copies of PERFECT FIFTHS. I wish I could thank you all!

*Yes, I realize that bookmarks are ironic thank yous for a book set 25 years from now, when e-readers will certainly dominate the market and such things will serve no practical purpose. Consider this gift a future artifact.

“BUMPED was one heck of a hilarious book…This is satire done well…What McCafferty does is trust us to go with it and experience the absurdity right along with both the characters. She wants us as readers to draw upon our knowledge and experience of future and dystopian worlds and see what it’s like when every single one of them collides…It’s insane. It’s hilarious. It’s spot on. And in this strange way, it works so well.” Stacked

“BUMPED is a highly intelligent novel that takes a close psychological look at a culture of extremes, vividly illustrating the dangers of going too far in either direction…BUMPED will make readers uncomfortable, and it will make them think. McCafferty isn’t afraid to take risks, and the result is something truly indescribable. Readers may love it or hate it, but they’ll certainly never forget it.” The Bookish Type

“BUMPED is bothersome and intentionally uncomfortable, the disturbing nature of its society presented in a lighter way due to the aforementioned humor but all the more unnerving as a result of this approach…It’s a book that will certainly inspire a wealth of differing opinions, ensuring that it will never be placed on a shelf and forgotten but will rather slither into our subconscious long after we’ve read it, raising new questions and eliciting new emotions with each remembrance.” Supernatural Snark

“This book is intense. Really intense. After seeing a lot of reviews I thought I knew what to expect from Bumped. But honestly, nothing can prepare you for a story like this. Its shocking. Its exciting. Its frustrating. Its REALLY frustating. But most of all BUMPED is the kind of story that sticks with you and makes you question the life that you live…Whether you love it, or hate it there is no question that you will remember BUMPED.” That Hapa Chick

“I think that a lot of people will either love or hate this book. It deals subtly and not so subtly with issues that push people’s buttons…There will be shouts of ‘This book supports teen pregnancy!’ but if you have a brain at all you will clearly see that it does the exact opposite. I ask that you read this book and see for yourself which side you will fall on…Even if you dislike it I guarantee that it will be unlike any book you have ever read before and it will definitely give you some things to think about.” Pure Imagination

“BUMPED  is a fantastic dystopian novel that will stand out from the many others that are being released this year. It tackles controversial issues with wit and humor, but still manages the reader to think, What if? BUMPED is definitely my new favorite series and I am counting down the days for the next book.” Muggle-Born.net

“I thought about Bumped long after I finished reading it. I talked about the book to several people, who are now anxiously awaiting it’s April 26th release date. I will say, however, that the book is not for everyone. It might be one that people either love or hate, but it is undeniable that it will be talked about for a very long time. There are several themes that will spark great discussion such as the media’s hypocritical viewpoints of sexuality, in particular teen sexuality, pregnancy, the increasingly blurry lines of where reality and celebrity meet and end. It also touches upon our crazy need to design the perfect person, inject ourselves with medicine to take away/mask our flaws and humanity. All of these issues are current in our society, which is what makes a book like Bumped so important because it makes us feel uncomfortable and forces us to think about things that we would like to push in the back our minds.” Books in the Spotlight

So…what will YOU think of BUMPED? (Of course, I hope you love it.) Get in on the debate April 26th.

P.S. I’ll be thanking readers who purchase BUMPED in its first week on sale with autographed swag. Details to come!