I am on the brink of forming a writer's group. A few of my friends (who also happen to be agents) also write fantasy, sometimes dark and/or urban, and we all want that extra motivation to actually sit down and write. I think I especially need that extra push, since I'm always giving myself excuses (I'm too tired, I'll do it tomorrow when I have more time, I don't feel inspired right now, etc. etc.) They're all lame so I am going to attempt to crack the whip and start writing.

I've decided to go with my dark urban fantasy novel/series idea because I've been working it over in my head, evolving and adapting it, and getting to know the characters since I was in college. Since then the MC has changed (for the better). She originally started out as a love interest for the former MC, but she was so interesting and powerful in my head that she immediately took over. Since then she's grown so much in my brain and her personality has shifted like the tides. I need to write her story. It's aching to come out.

My biggest problem is that I'm great at beginnings, iffy on middles and not so great with endings. The creative vision just doesn't extend that far. I need to just start writing and let it come to me but for some reason the open-endedness has always turned me off. But like I said, cracking the whip, so maybe this story will finally become reality. Words of encouragement and motivation are welcome and encouraged. :-D

Kids, grandpa broke his hip! Seriously, I know I'm only 26 (or will be next week -- WOOHOO) but I feel OLD! I am in severe pain.

Yesterday (Thursday) our company had an all-staff outing in Central Park where I participated in double-dutch (yes, I still remember how to do it from the 4th grade) and kickball (I still don't know how to kick anything but pop-ups, after all these years). Despite the energizing desserts from the bake-off and the ridiculous amount of tequila that was pumped into my system from the margarita-happy hour afterward, you'd think I'd be feeling A-OK, but no. Every muscle I can think of is in pain. I even managed to twist my ankle during double-dutch so I've been hobbling a bit.

Then today, after staying a bit late on half-day Friday, I meandered down to Brooklyn Heights for a rooftop karaoke party at the apartment of one of our art directors. I had a total blast but walking there from the subway, standing most of the time (with dancing) and then walking back caused me to add the soles of my feet to the injured list.

Tomorrow I am being picked up by Melissa from Long Island and we are driving to Pelham Bay Park in the Bronx where there will be a BBQ thrown by a bunch of people who are related in some way to our friend Jacinda. Jacinda was a grad student when Melissa and I were undergrads and now she's stupid and lives in Boston. Booray! So we're taking the opportunity to see her while we can, even though we're both wiped out. I think I may die before the end of the weekend.

Somebody call a medic!

**Don't read this post if you aren't comfortable reading about insects 'n' stuff.**

A few weekends ago, walking home from dinner with an out-of-town friend, I saw five HUGE cockroaches walking around on the sidewalk like it was the normal thing to do. The weirdest thing is, they were all in different areas on my way home, not close to each other at all, and most of them were in spots were I've never seen roaches before. It was strange and gross but I just shrugged it off. But then...

...last night I decided to walk home from my friend (and future roommate) Maranda's apartment (soon to be known as my new apartment) instead of taking the subway, and I noticed SIX swarms of ants coming from cracks in the sidewalk. And once again, they were all on different blocks, far enough away from each other where they wouldn't be connected. There was no food on the ground for them to be going after, and they didn't even seem to be moving in any type of logical pattern.

These weren't just gross occurrences. They freaked me out. What's with these strange insect activities lately? I don't know if it is the weather or what, but I'm having flashbacks to all of those insect swarm horror movies I was subjected to as a child. Now, I know it's ridiculous warm this summer but its definitely not as hot as it was last summer and we've had some cold spells too. Why are the insects acting weird? Make them stop!

I'm off to google the phrase "strange ant behavior." Maybe they're signalling some sort of natural phenomenon that we should know about. Maybe I'm paranoid. And itchy...yes, thinking about ants definitely makes me itchy. Sorry if this post did the same to any of you.

I absolutely forgot that Kelley Armstrong's next Women of the Otherworld book, No Humans Allowed, is now out. That is definitely going to be one of the three books I read while I'm on vacation. I picked up a copy while I was out book shopping on Friday (I hit more than just Book-Off).

So we have Speak, Women of the No Humans Allowed and possibly Ender's Game. I've been told I should read it by...4 or 5 people now (on and offline) so I think it's the winner by a landslide. By the way, I may need to borrow someone's copy, since I don't seem to have the copy that was living on my desk for the past year or so.

The other day I found myself in Book-Off, the Japanese bookstore right near the NYPL. They have a great American used-books section and I managed to score some really great finds for only $1 each. My finds included the Fear Street Cheerleaders trilogy by RL Stine. This was a very exciting find for me because these were the books that got me hooked on Fear Street when I was in middle school. Love them!

I also found a few classics that I still haven't read that are on my list:

*From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg
*The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
*The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier

And I picked up The Silver Kiss by Annette Curtis-Klaus for only $3 too. I figured I should pick it up, since I loved Blood and Chocolate (also written by her).

Book-Off is great! I'm not sure how I feel about sharing my place. I love it when a place feels like it is your little secret. But hey, I'm sure everyone already knows about it anyway cuz it's so great, and the more people who bring their used books, the more there are for me to find. :-D

Before I end ye old lunch break (must mention that I am on lunch break -- don't want to get in trouble for blogging at work) I must post this.

I am taking a week off in early July, right after I move into a new apartment. In the time when I am not finishing my unpacking and reorganizing (not to mention feeding the Netflix addiction), I plan on doing some non-work related reading. I think I can probably get through 1-3 books in a week's time, if I don't get distracted and if I really get into the stories. I also think one of those books is going to be Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. I know---I can't believe I haven't read it yet either. It's one of the books on my Children's, YA and (all-age groups) Fantasy/Sci-Fi must-read list.

Any suggestions for the other two? I'm thinking I'll probably want to read at least one adult book...probably something dark fantasy-ish. The third one can be a random. But I'd like to open the floor up to suggestions and then, because we're all booknerds here, I'll post my thoughts on each book when I'm done. Doesn't that sound like fun? Well we'll see.

So...any ideas?

Guys, I'm really excited. I just found out that Day Watch is finally out in the states. Day Watch is the sequel to the Russian blockbuster Night Watch. They are based on books in a dark urban fantasy trilogy written by Sergey Lukyanenko. The first one was really amazing and I absolutely cannot wait to see this one. Check out the link above to see a trailer and anyone in NYC is interested in seeing it with me, let me know.

I bite my nails. I bite them BAD. So ever since I've had teeth, I've had NO nails. Nubs if you will. I've tried to stop numerous times over the years but it hasn't happened. I always end up declawed. Well I'm trying a new tactic this time around. I'm going at this one finger at a time. Starting with the pinkies (aka Most Likely To Be Overlooked), I'm going to stop biting. I'm going to let myself get used to having a fingernail on each finger until there are no nubs left. This way, I get to keep biting while I break the habit. It's a weaning process. Wish me luck!

I missed KidLit drinks again tonight. That ticks me off something fierce, at myself and circumstances in general. I had planned to nap for a bit after work, since I was exhausted, and wake up in time to go---but when I got back to Queens, I was feeling way too awake. So what does a booknerd do when they have some time to kill...I decided to read. The next thing I know, I'm waking up and it's almost 6:45, I'm dizzy and I have a killer neckache. What I call a "nap-headache." I managed to recover enough to text message Alvina and let her know why I wasn't going to make it and fell back into a half-sleep.

I'm mostly-recovered now, thanks to 2 Tylenol Extra Strength Gel Caps and some sustenance. Hopefully I'll still be able to get to bed at a reasonable hour tonight, despite my recent coma, because I am meeting my boss and one of our authors tomorrow to go to BEA. Gotta stay fresh for all the books 'n' stuff.

Anyway, sorry to everyone I was going to see tonight. I WILL make it to one of these things soon. And if you're going to BEA, give me a call (if you have the #) or if you see me (and know what I look like) flag me down and say hey.

Over the past year, I really haven't read as much as I used to. Part of that is because I'm in editorial now. Editors (and their apprentices) don't have the privelege of reading for pleasure as much as your average booknerd. But I've also been neglecting that side of me as well. When you read so much for work, it's hard to make the time for non-work reading. With a lot of my favorite adult authors coming out with books again (it's about that time of year, eh?) I am reminded that I have to give some time to this side of my life. I miss those authors who make me squee with booknerdiness: Kelley Armstrong, Charlaine Harris, Lilith Saintcrow (hi Lili), Tanya Huff, Sharon Shinn, Christopher Rice, and the like.

Now don't get me wrong...I love every single book I have worked on since I started at Little, Brown. I'm very lucky in that sense -- Jen and I have similar (but very broad-ranging) tastes when it comes to books for young readers. But in order to feed the book-loving soul, you have to read some non-work-related stuff, whether that means gory/cheesy true crime novels, Pulitzer prize winning literary fiction or (in my case) dark, urban fantasy. You need to nurture both sides of the fence and not push too much on either side, or things go out of wack. Burnout can happen, or you can fall behind on submissions, or you can miss deadlines. I guess the moral of the story is that you have to make time for the books you really love, because if you don't nurture your passion, it may desert you when you really need it.

Me? I've clearly chosen the workaholic route. My goal going into my second year is to continue working hard, but to not let myself forget about my life outside of work either. I've lost touch with a lot of good friends and a lot of great books because I was so focused and while I want to keep achieving and excelling, I also want to put some life back into my personal life.

I also need to start writing again, but that's a whole 'nother matter entirely...

I can't believe I didn't blog about this last week! Well...I'm about to submit another post but before I do that I have to mention this:

Last Tuesday, May 22nd, was my 1 year anniversary working in children's editorial! WOO!

I make reference to that in the post that's coming right after this, so I figured I should fill everyone in. Also, this deserved it's very own post.

I forgot to mention last night that I will be attending the (takes a deep breath) Women in Children's Media's Children's Book Publishing: Panel and Networking Event on the 31st. Now I know what you're thinking. But T.S. ---you may work in children's media, but you're not a woman." Well yes, this is true, despite what you may have heard, but I was assured by my boss, the lovely Ms. Jennifer Hunt, that I would not be the only male in the room. I also want to go and root for Jennifer and Alvina, who will both be on the panel.

You know how sometimes people start seeing a new boyfriend or girlfriend and completely disappear? Yeah, I wish that's been the case with me. Unfortunately, it's not. I've just been busy and/or lazy and/or had nothing to say.

I've been working on some fun projects lately, despite feeling stressed and busy. This was a good week and it ended even better. Today was the first half day of the summer and the kick-off to summer hours. I love half-day Fridays---publishing has such great perks. Anyway, a bunch of us folk from Young Readers hopped on a train and made our way to the South Street Seaport. We sat around chatting, cracking each other up, eating from the food court, looking out at the water and just having a good time. After a while, the few of us who were left decided to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge before we headed our own separate ways. It was one of the best days I've had in a while. I got out, had fun in a comfy environment, and really enjoyed the nice weather. Then I slept the entire subway ride back from Brooklyn. HAHAHA!

Not much else to say for now. Life is good. I'll try not to be a face on a milk carton anymore. Happy looming summer!

Living in New York is so great! Where else would you read a quote from a gay man about all the eye candy in a comic book store.

From: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/04/books/04comi.html?8bu&emc=bu
Chuck McKinney, 41, a voice-over actor and Web cartoonist, loves Midtown Comics. “The store is big, clean, well stocked and organized; and everyone gets a discount,” he wrote in an e-mail message. “And best of all there are lots of hot, ethnic straight guys to check out while I’m buying my comics.”

And speaking of gay comic book nerds, I am clearly becoming addicted. It all started with the new Buffy comic, which led to a recent purchase of the first Joss Whedon-penned Runaways comic. This, unsurprisingly, led to the purchase of four (count them, FOUR) Runaways back-issue graphic novels (so that I could catch up on the storyline, of course). And now it's looking like I'm about to pick up the first two issues of Loners, which is a new series inspired by a few issues of Runaways.

I clearly have problems. Are there any gay comic book addict groups I can join to help me with this problem? Hey, maybe I'll meet a cute comic nerd at my 12-step program and we'll fall madly in love and have to live in a series of interconnected cardboard boxes under the Verrazano Bridge because we've spent all our money on comics. Or maybe I could just meet a cute Marvel employee and kill two birds with one stone. Note to self: get on that immediately.

Sara Zarr wrote a really great post here about teen alienation and how books can touch those who might otherwise feel alone in the world. I can't help but think how true this is. Books were there for me when I was a nerdy, socially awkward, outcasted child. I felt like I had friends who were always there, as long as I kept flipping the pages. No matter how alone I felt, there was always Harvey from Clive Barker's The Thief of Always, or Ramona Quimby, or the motley citizens of Pier's Anthony's Land of Xanth. Now that I'm a (cough) well-adjusted (cough) adult, I'm proud to be a part of the behind-the-scenes world of books. I can't help but think that, as an editor (or an editorial assistant...whatever), that I can potentially be something of a hero to someone, just like the editors and authors of my favorite books were for me.

Go read the post. It's really good (just like everything Sara writes -- call me a brown-noser all you want, but it's true).

We interrupt this regularly scheduled workday to inform you that I met Darren Shan today. Darren is the bestselling author of the Cirque du Freak and Demonata series which we publish and I have been a big fan of his since before I started working here. I was lucky enough to be able to have my copy of Bec (Demonata #4) signed, and Cindy Eagan, his editor here, introduced me as a potential stalker (which I hope Darren found hilarious).

I felt so lame. I was shaking and nervous. I get really nervous when I am meeting someone I really admire. And I love Darren's books. It was a great experience though. He had a blood plastic hand which he posed with, and he read from Demonata #5 (Blood Beast) which sounds just as great as the others. I CAN'T WAIT!

If you haven't picked up Darren's books yet, go do it now. They're gorey and full of action, demons/vampires (depending on series), bugs, and death. My kind of books! I highly recommend these titles -- not only as a member of the Little, Brown Books for Young Readers editorial department, but as someone who was a fan long before I started working here. Go get these books!

This is cheating a little bit. I posted this in my LiveJournal a little while ago and thought, damn this would've made a great post for my new blog. I wish I had set it up. So now I'm reposting it, since I haven't had the chance to sit down and really write anything worthwhile in the past few weeks.

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It's amazing how music can bring us back to a certain moment or memory. When I hear John Mayer's Clarity, I am once again walking past Macy's to get to my internship at Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group in 2003, my first year in New York City and my first semester in grad school. When I hear anything from Spiceworld by the Spice Girls or the first Backstreet Boys CD, I am back in my bedroom in Connecticut, it's winter of '97/'98, and I am playing Final Fantasy 9. It is the part of the game with the Festival of the Hunt in Lindblum and I can see Freya standing on the streets with her lance held, ready to fight. That was the winter I came out of the closet...to myself, my best friends, and my mother.

It's funny what memories music can invoke. Anyone out there have any music-inspired memories they'd like to share?

Well today was purge day at work. We're moving from the Time & Life building to Park Ave, right next to Grand Central, and so naturally we all have to decide what stays and what goes. This has been extremely hard, as you can imagine, since a lot of "stuff" builds up over the years. Add onto that the fact that T.S. is a packrat and things get wacky.

I am happy to announce that my desk is...slightly less of a landfill than it has been in the past. I've been able to convince my boss to let me throw out or donate things that have been here since before I started (we're both packrats -- it's so bad), I've filed away papers that have been patiently waiting for me to do so, and soon I will be sending out a whole mess of "stuff" that has been piling up. I've also been a bit behind on my decline letters (sorry agents/authors) and that job will be tackled tomorrow. Yes tomorrow. But I won't be alone if I can help it.

Wish me luck and hopefully soon you'll get another real post instead of these strange glimpses into my neuroses (a la orange bear collections and such).

Starting the summer after I graduated from high school, I have been buying orange teddy bears and giving them to my best friend. It took me until a few months ago to realize that it was really my collection and not his. So I've reclaimed it. I re-counted and I currently have 28 orange bears. This does not include the orange bear slinky that Steve lost at some point in the past 8 years.

The whole thing started because of an inside joke, and I guess I kept it going because it was so weird and because orange bears are just the right amount of rare. You'd never think you would find many orange teddy bears, but there are more than you think too. But green, purple, red teddy bears -- those are really rare. On St. Patrick's Day you might find one or two green bears but they're usually just brown with green t-shirts or hats. Same thing with red bears on V-Day. But orange bears can be found in almost any crane game if you look hard enough, and they are all over the place on Halloween. For some reason, it intrigues me just the right amount.

Heres the collection:


Notable bears include: Laugh-a-lot Carebear, two ghost-bear Beanie Babies (twins), three Puffkins (one regular, one reg. w/ mask and one little), a pencil topper (with bowtie), a Grateful Dead bear, and a Build-a-Bear with a Red Sox t-shirt that I made Steve create.

I know...I'm a strange puppy. But I admit it and it's kinda funny being strange sometimes. :)

Edited to add: Someday soon I NEED to get my hands on the subway bears for the B/D/F/V line. I have no idea why I STILL have not bought these obvious purchases.

Work has been keeping me busy lately, partially due to my own newly-formed workaholic habits. Things have been winding down a bit lately, as the seasons begin to change, but I have continued to push myself. This can lead to dire consequences, especially when I stay up late reading and end up a zombie the next day.

Today I needed a real pick me up and decided, as I was walking past FYE on the way back from lunch, that what I needed was some music therapy. I get into musical obsessions where I find new music, listen the crap out of it, memorize it and then eventually get sick of it and stop listening to it for a "recovery period" before adding it back into my musical backlist (gotta love using publishing lingo in other situations).

I wasn't sure what I was going to buy, but the minute I walked in I was confronted with a giant poster of Elliott Yamin, the #3 contestant on American Idol 5. I had heard his first single and really enjoyed it, but had forgotten that I wanted to get his CD. Well I promptly bought it and I must say...it's really good. He's got a great, soulful voice. He's pretty amazing for someone who is 90% deaf in one ear. Some of my favorite songs are Movin' On, Wait For You, and Train Wreck.

After work, I gave myself another treat. Buffy: Season 8: Issue 2 came out yesterday, so I stopped by the comic store that is so conveniently located right off the subway in Astoria and promptly bought that as well. These issues have been great so far, but I gotta say, I don't think I can handle this---ya know, with the shortness and the monthly. I want more, and I want it NOW! And Issue 3's cover looks AMAZING! Willowy-hotness all over the place. How am I going to wait an entire month? I've gotta make friends with someone at Dark Horse!

Tomorrow I will be treating myself to a train ticket home to Connecticut. I have mixed feelings about going home right now, since things aren't exactly going well in my hometown, but the holidays are a time for family (including good friends) and so off I go.

The other day I was asked for some tips on how to get a job in the book publishing industry, and since it seemed like a feat comparable to climbing Mount Everest for me and my friends, I thought I'd post some tips.

These are only observations from my own experiences, and everyone's story differs, but here goes:

First I should say that getting your masters in publishing is not always the answer. You have to decide if it is right for you. My experience with graduate school was frustrating, at times infuriating, and I felt like slamming my head against a brick wall. However, that was mostly due to the program and school I was in, and it wasn't all bad. I did leave with a masters degree to slap onto my resume, I had a basic understanding of the publishing industry and every area I could possibly think to go into (editorial, production, marketing, design, finance) and most important, I had a great group of friends who were in the same boat I was. That support group got me through the job search nightmare and it was always nice to have a bunch of booknerds to talk to and go book shopping with when things got tough. Oh yeah, and I also left with a job lined up, thanks to one teacher who actually cared enough to put in a good word for me.

So you're at the point where you're ready to apply for a job in publishing and you want that extra edge, or you're having trouble getting past the online application process? There are some tricks I've learned in the past (almost) four years. First, you may not want to get your masters degree, but there are plenty of certificate programs or summer institutes to attend that don't cost as much and will still give you the basic knowledge and networking opportunities with actual publishing professionals. NYU has one of these summer institutes, among others, and if you're willing to travel, there's even one in Denver, CO. This site has a great list.

Another good piece of advice is to network. Sure, it's harder for those who aren't yet in the publishing industry, but there are ways. Meet assistants and junior staff on MySpace, craigslist, LiveJournal and other online communities if you don't already know someone in the business. Be creative. Find ways to meet people, have them introduce you to people they know and then have those people introduce you to the people they know. Sooner or later, you're bound to meet someone who knows of a job lead, or who will refer you for an assistant position. Just don't be too pushy, clingy or fake. No one wants to refer someone if they think they are being used to get a job. Be genuine and people will want to help you even more. And even if they can't help you, you've made a new friend in the industry. Remember that support system I mentioned earlier.

If you are in the industry and you just haven't broken into the right area (editorial, most likely), then introduce yourself or have your coworkers introduce you to people in those departments within your own company. If you want to be an editor, find the people who work on the books you like to read and offer to read for them and give feedback. Editors love that, especially since the submission piles can get really intense at times, and it will give you more experience to throw onto your resume. And there is another connection (or two if you count their assistant) that you've just made in the right direction. Also think about joining and attending events with the YPG or Overtime. I was introduced to YPG when I first started in the marketing department of my company 2 years ago and was recently asked to join the Planning Committee. It's been a great experience and I've met a lot of great people in all different areas of publishing, from many different companies.

Other than those networking tips, the best thing I can tell you is to work with books as much as you can. Work at a bookstore, volunteer at your local library or literacy center. If you want to be an editor, do freelance work. There's tons of freelance jobs out there, including tons of writers on Craigslist looking for someone to help them edit their work. If you're still in school and have time, think about applying for summer internships in the city or working on your school's literary journal. Do whatever works best for you, but do as much as you can to fill your resume with experience that shows you are serious about working with books. We're an industry of booknerds and we are eager to hire our own.

After that, it's the same as any job hunt. Make sure your resume is in tip-top shape, practice your interview skills and go get 'em. OH! And the most important piece of advice I could give you. Don't despair! It can be a long, hard road to finding the job you want in this industry and you have to remember that these are big media companies you are applying to. This isn't Best Buy or the local insert-company-here you are applying to. It's a huge industry and there are a lot of people applying. The worst thing you can do is give up because you aren't finding something. I was lucky enough to have (apparently) done everything right, but I also had to work my way through a nightmare job. NOW I'm in a position that makes me truly happy, but there were times when I never thought I'd make it. There were so many days when I thought I should just give up and move back to my hometown. But it's been almost a year now and I've enjoyed it so much that the time has just flown by. If I can get here, so can you.

And for those people reading this -- if I missed anything, feel free to add your own two cents.

Well, I guess I should go ahead and christen this blog with its first post. For those who are new to my blog, I am a 25-year old editorial assistant working at a dream job in children's book publishing. I've been blogging for 5 years now (god, I can't believe it's been that long now) and I thought it was high time I made the switch from the not-so-private diary format that I'm used to, to a more journalistic, public style of blogging. So here I am, coming out from behing the filters and starting a blog where I have to think before I speak, where I am forced to post intelligently because the whole world is watching. It's an exciting concept and I'm looking forward to it. And of course, I'll always have my old filters to go back to when I need them, but for now I'd like to raise a glass to the start of a brand new blogging adventure.

...now I just need to find myself a glass

...and some champagne