Elizabeth Holden

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courtesy Elizabeth Holden

A close-up of Elizabeth Holden.

Elizabeth Holden

media release: Join us for the book release party of Mighty Millie Novak by local author Elizabeth Holden in conversation with Laura Bird! This isn't just your typical author reading, come for stellar vegan food from Just Veggiez and a roller derby demonstration from Liz and her Madison Roller Derby teammates! Top off the evening with an afterparty down the block at Starkweather Brewing Company. All ages welcome.

This is an in person event at A Room of One's Own.

About the book

Social anxiety, her parents' divorce, and tumultuous friendships won't stop Millie's pursuit of what she wants--in roller derby and in love. ​But her own lies might…

Sixteen-year-old Millie Novak is stuck in an “if only” rut. If only she were stronger and faster, maybe her roller derby teammates would take her seriously. If only she had the guts to go back to in-person learning, maybe she’d have a social life. If only she weren't such an awkward mess, maybe she could get the attention of that cute girl on the all-star derby team. And don’t get her started on her family!

After the one-two punch of her beloved older brother’s departure for college and her parents’ overdue divorce, Millie decides it’s time to reinvent herself. With the help of her new friend Pumpkin and a little bit of deceit, Millie crafts a plan to cement her status on the team and get her crush to fall for her.

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But reinvention isn’t easy. Millie’s constantly shown up by show-off teammate Stork, and the only way she can get her crush’s attention is through increasingly elaborate lies. Worse, she begins to suspect Pumpkin is not the supportive friend she’d imagined. Toughest to handle? Realizing the person she’s in love with might not be her longtime crush, after all.

Elizabeth Holden is an avid roller derby player, a blocker with Madison Roller Derby since 2015. Liz’s league-mates know her as Auntie Matter; her derby name is a reference to her job teaching college physics. (And, yes, she is also an aunt. Hi, William and Hugo!) When not busy writing, playing derby, or teaching, Liz is most likely leading international trips with her company, Leaping Hound Travel. Liz also co-hosts an X-Files podcast, We Want to Believe, with her sister. Liz’s tattoos are vibrant and numerous, her laugh is loud, and her heart belongs to her pet greyhounds. Learn more about her at elizabeth-holden.com.

A Milwaukee native, Laura Anne Bird graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a degree in English. She lives in Madison, Wisconsin, with her husband, three big kids, and little dog. When she’s not reading, writing, or reviewing books, she loves to exercise and explore the outdoors. Marvelous Jackson, which will be published on September 10, 2024, is a follow-up to Laura's middle grade debut, Crossing the Pressure Line, which garnered awards from the Independent Book Publishers Association, the Midwest Independent Publishers Association, and the Arts + Literature Laboratory's Wisconsin Writers Awards program. Join Laura on Instagram @laura_at_the_library, where she celebrates all things literary.