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       I'll be in conversation with Austrian author Josef Haslinger at the Austrian Cultural Forum in New York on Tuesday, 24 November (at 18:30), with John Cullen reading from his (unpublished) translation of Haslinger's Phi Phi Island, describing his experiences during the tsunami of 2004.
       Maria Simma interviewed him for Transforum, and we'll certainly be covering some of that ground, too.
        (The film version of Haslinger's Das Vaterspiel is also set to premiere (in Germany and Austria) next week; the English title is, apparently, Kill Daddy Good Night (which can't hurt at the box office ...).)

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It seems like I've been apologizing a lot for being absent from the blog lately. Kind of a bummer, since I hate it when life gets in the way. And although I've been kind of boring lately, I will make it up to you in December. Promise.

Anyway, don't have much to talk about tonight, but I am cleaning out my bookshelves again. It's that time of year again when I go through all the books I have and reorganize, reshuffle and decide which books I maybe can live without.

Which is really kind of hard for me, but maybe great news for some of you, especially if you're participating in one of the upcoming swaps. I guess I need to look at it as making room for all those wonderful new books I'll (hopefully) get for Christmas.

Meanwhile, don't forget about my Design a Button contest. You'll get a book of your choice if you win...

Now I'm off to go organize shelves. I'll come back when maybe I have some pictures.

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Sorting for the reading of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince in our Lily and Stag Inn Reading Group forums has been opened over on the Leaky Lounge.  Our Reading Groups offer Lounge members an intimate environment in which in-depth discussions about the Harry Potters novels take place with your fellow group members.  For the Half-Blood Prince reading group, members will travel along with H... Read the rest of this post

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photo by ahisgett www.flickr.com

Chinese New Year
February 14, 2010

*Picture book for preschoolers through second graders, contemporary, multicultural
*Young girl as main character
*A Gift is a good introduction to the Chinese New Year for young children with wonderful illustrations and a nice family message!

Short, short summary:
A Gift by Yong Chen tells the story of Amy, whose Mom is missing her relatives back home in China around the Chinese New Year. Soon a package arrives for Mom and Amy. Inside the package is a letter from Amy’s aunt (Mom’s sister) about a rock that Uncle Zhong found in his fields in China and how Uncle Ming turned it into a necklace for Amy for the Chinese New Year. At the end of A Gift, Yong Chen explains more about the Chinese New Year and the symbol of the dragon.

So, what do I do with this book?

1. In 2010, the Chinese New Year will be on February 14. (To see dates for other years, click here.) Make some Chinese New Year recipes with your class or at home with your children. In art, make dragons. Ask students to find a few facts about the Chinese New Year through their own research. You can also make a Chinese New Year information bulletin board. Invite a native from China to be a guest speaker about celebrations and customs for the Chinese New Year.

2. Amy has never met her relatives in China, but she knows all about them from her mom. You may have students in your family who have never met some of their relatives; or if you are at home with your children, you may have relatives living overseas whom your child has not met. Use A Gift by Yong Chen to start a discussion with your children or your class about these relatives. If you are a teacher, ask students to bring in a photograph of a relative they have never met–they can also bring in an old photo of a deceased relative if necessary. Ask the students to share some information about the person in the photo by interviewing their parents.

3. Ask students to draw or write (depending on their age and ability level) about a special gift they have received, what it was, and why it was special.

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...Blah blah blah....

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A children’s and YA writer I really admire and respect–Barbara Greenwood–is guest blogging tomorrow (Sat Nov. 21) at Moonlight, Lace and Mayhem. Barbara is a wonderful writer, an incredible teacher and woman, and she is both very intelligent and kind. She makes writing come alive! I hope you’ll check out her post!

They’ll be featuring her book Pioneer Thanksgiving, A: A Story of Harvest Celebrations in 1841 to tie into Thanksgiving (for the US).

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Didja ever go out to a restaurant
And eat more than you should?
If so, you know just how I feel:
Stuffed, and not too good.

Could not resist the nachos,
Ate more than twice my share;
The margarita went down smooth –
I didn’t even care.

The quesadilla melted
Like queso in the sun.
I gobbled it and with each bite,
I’d only just begun.

Fajitas followed quickly;
They sizzled and they sputtered.
The meat wrapped in tortillas –
My stomach getting cluttered.

The meal was sadly finished,
But not, alas, complete;
For when I got home I did crave
A taste of something sweet.

So even though I barely
Could sustain another bite,
I scarfed a mini-Almond Joy,
A Halloween delight.

And now I pay the piper:
My jeans I must unzip;
But now that I am comfortable,
Please pass me one last chip!

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I can hear Truffaut laughing in his grave….

Close Encounters of the Redneck Kind from Marc Bullard on Vimeo. Thanks to Neatorama for the link!

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Tiger Woods, athlete
Dec. 30, 1975-

Tiger Woods by David R. Collins, illustrated by Larry Nolte (Pelican, 1999)

Tiger Woods, the gifted young African American golfer, faced prejudice with positive character and determination as a child and as an adult. He won his first U.S. Amateur Championship at the age of 19.

Visit the Tiger Woods Official Website to learn more about this great golfer.

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STATUS: I’m done for the night.

What’s playing on the iPod right now? LANDSLIDE by Dixie Chicks

Considering all the chatter over the last two days, today has been relatively quiet. SFWA (Science Fiction Writers of America) did issue a statement. You can find that here.

Also, the Ashley Grayson agency blogged with their response.

On a wholly different note, I have a Friday funny—sort of. Do you remember my blogging about an Eddie Murphy movie being shot on our street about two summers ago? For two days in a row they had the extras and the movie crew filming. Sara and I remember it vividly as a car alarm kept going off incessantly. With our windows open on a nice summer day, it was all we could hear for two days running.

Can’t imagine why if you don’t remember. That was a year and a half or two years ago. I only remembered a couple of weeks ago when my husband said he caught the film while on an airplane trip.

The movie is called IMAGINE THAT and no, neither Chutney or I are in the film. In fact, I can’t imagine what they were doing on our street for all that time because in the film itself, there is a brief flash of the front façade of our office in the SH Supply Company building in the scene where Eddie Murphy is fumbling in his briefcase for something while driving. About 10 seconds later, the car drives down the alley behind the building.

Exciting stuff I’m telling you. Grin.

There is one big scene where Mr. Murphy dances on a concrete wall and there is a beautiful lit up staircase behind him. This leads to the bridge that goes over the railroad tracks and into lower downtown. Very noticeable by the bridge support which looks like a ship’s mast. (You can actually see that scene in the movie trailer.)

Well, that takes place right in front of the Platte River Park where Chutney and I often go walking on nice days.

Anyway, highly amusing to watch a movie set in Denver and in Lodo where our office is located.

I’m out. Have a great weekend.

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Aaron Reynolds and Neil Numberman are stopping by today for a visit to promote their clever new book, Joey Fly Private Eye. (Da-da-DAA!)



They've prepared a really cool packet of stuff to go with it... but my slow internet connection wouldn't let me load all of it (it's a conspiracy, a cover up, I tell ya!). But for now we've got a cool video...



and cutout paper dolls...



Until next time...

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Thanks to Charley Parker of the blog Lines and Colors for his thoughtful review of Imaginative Realism.

Lines and Colors is an art blog that I check out every day, and it has led me to many discoveries that have changed my thinking about making pictures.

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rgz LIVE!

We will have not one, not two, but three live events at the readergirlz blog this month.

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On Saturday, November 21st, beginning at 6 PM PST/9 PM EST, we'll be talking about New Moon. Feel free to talk about the book versus the movie and anything else about the Twilight Saga, and tell us if you're on Team Edward or Team Jacob. We'll be joined by the TwilightMOMS. Join the fun for a chance to win a Twilight necklace from Gypsy Wings and other fantastic swag!



This month's featured author, Marlene Carvell, will be chatting live on Tuesday, November 24th, beginning at 6 PM PST/9 PM EST. Log on at that time to talk about Sweetgrass Basket directly with the author herself as well as other readers.

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Finally, on Monday, November 30th, we'll be throwing our first rgz RAVE Homecoming to chat with former rgz featured authors Coe Booth, Dia Calhoun, Janet Lee Carey, Cecil Castelucci, Justina Chen, Rachel Cohn, Holly Cupala, Liz Gallagher, Nikki Grimes, Lorie Ann Grover, Ellen Hopkins, Sarah Miller, Mary Pearson, Mitali Perkins, Dana Reinhardt, Laura Resau, Melissa Walker, Ellen Emerson White, Rita Williams-Garcia, Sara Zarr, and more. This chat, like the others, will begin at 6 PM PST/9 PM EST.

Each chat will last for an hour.

To learn more about readergirlz and this month's featured book, Sweetgrass Basket by Marlene Carvell, go to http://www.readergirlz.com and check out the November 2009 issue. Also read our roundtable discussion of Sweetgrass Basket and my review of the book.

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I honestly don't know of anything or anyone, other then perhaps being alive, then my beautiful girlfriend. I have NEVER been in love and it is a WONDERFUL FEELING! This was, perhaps, the EASIEST Monday Artday for me so far. Mainly because the illustration was completed already. I did this for her on Valentines day cause I didn't have any money.

Really, isn't she BEAUTIFUL? Just the most wonderful individual on this planet and I've NEVER been so glad another person was SIMPLY ALIVE. I can honestly say I am grateful she just plain old every day exists.

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I thought Chewbacca would be happier with his good buddy Han Solo. Quick sketch from today :)

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It's a little tricky, for me, to get proper values & contrast when working in color. I'm essentially a lazy artist, but have been making an effort to work out more problems like this ahead of time. This is for a picture book proposal (Jump).

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Check out Marc Tyler Nobleman's blog post about the Connecticut Children's Book Fair. Be sure to scroll down to the photographs that look as if they were taken at a crime scene.

By the time all this was going down, I was back from my trip to the ER, had finished my calm down reading, and was asleep. It's probably a toss up as to who got more sleep that night.

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On November 19th, 2009 Victor R. Volkman and Irene Watson interviewed media release guru Paul Krupin about whether Press Releases are still revelant to marketing your books in 2009. Krupin is the author of numerous books about publicity, search engines, and other topics.  His latest book Trash Proof News Releases is also available as a free eBook download. We covered a wide-range of talking points, including

• So What Exactly Is A News Release?
• Why Is This So Hard To Do? What Makes This So Special?
• So What Exactly Do Media People Look For When They Receive A News Release?
• So What Do You Need To Do To Write A News Release That Really Works & Truly Gets Media Attention?
• How do you know when you’re ready?
• What Specifically Should Authors Do To Create This Galvanizing Candy – This Magic Script .
• What is the Magic Formula (DPAA+H)? (“Dramatic Personal Achievement in the face of Adversity, plus a little Humor”)
• Which Are Better For Authors To Aim At - Book Reviews Or Feature Stories & Why?
• How do you know when you achieve success with a news release?
• So once you have a trash proof news release, what do you do with it

Paul J. Krupin is a former US government scientist and once-upon-a-time lawyer (best kind) would much rather be fishing on the Columbia River, which is less than a mile from where he lives in Eastern Washington State. He’s has hundreds and hundreds of publishing clients who range from NY Times best sellers (like Dan Brown, Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen and Andy Andrews) to first timers and seasoned self publishers and small press publishers we know and talk with on all of the online discussion group lists.Favorite Quote - You reach happiness and success when you help the people you can help the most and get rich at the same time.

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Our sale is still ongoing....my sale, really, even though I have some helpers. I have moved 6,000 books at least 3 times each.

Library book sales are frustrating things. The preview night is horribly stressful, for small sales like ours--we need the dealers to come, since they are the biggest spenders, but they can be very hard to deal with, making nasty remarks about the quality of the books offered, leaving messy piles for us to put away, and generally being demanding. They weren't bad this time around, but, on the other hand, they weren't buying many books. Sigh.

And the local newspaper put in wrong information about the days the sale was open, just saying Monday, instead of Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, so business is way down. A couple of people have said to me that they think the newspaper did it on purpose, because (they say) the paper supports the other, bigger, library, which is located in the more affluent part of town, and, they say, that library wants our library to close so they can have the totality of the town library budget (which might well be true). I really, really, don't want to think that the newspaper would be so mean, but I am pretty sad.

On a lighter note, a copy of Twilight showed up in the donations for the First Time! Harry Potters showed up within months of their releases, so I guess the people of my town love Bella more, in that they are so unwilling to part with her...

And I did already get to spend $350 of the dollars buying legos for the library's new lego club, which was fun.

But still. I am thinking of making my oldest dress in a book costume and dance at the intersection tomorrow, to bring in more traffic. If only I had a book costume on hand...Ninja, yes, but that is not Useful...

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YAY! The day is finally here.  Emily and I took a ditch day to see it , hoping to miss the lines and the plan worked. I did schedule a dental appointment to at least validate a day off of school but really it was a ditch day all the same. =o)

If you are a Twilight fan you will enjoy it, regardless of the poor acting (no worse than the last one but still very much the same level as a soap opera- not to be mean- still loved it).  Plus, they stayed true to the book again which is always great. 

What made the first movie really work for me was the soundtrack so I was praying they'd pull it off again with this one, and they did for the most part. Not as much of a moody, ethereal style that appealed to me in the first but enough to make me want to get the soundtrack.

Anyway, it was a fun girls day out for sure!!!!  

* OH! Don't know if any of you have read, "The Lovely Bones" but I was so surprised and excited to see that it has been made into a movie (they showed previews today). I enjoyed the book -except one area that I thought was totally unnecessary and took away from the story for me personally- but I'm hoping they'll omit it from the film version. 

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This morning started with a walk to the Philadelphia Convention Center under sunny blue skies (Finally - yay!) to see the panel discussion called "Fractured Classics" about using well-known archetypes to create stories for middle grade and young adult readers. It included fellow Bloomsbury/Walker authors Shannon Hale and Suzanne Selfors as well as Malinda Lo and Diane Zahler, all of whom were funny and brilliant. Here are some of my favorite moments:

Diane Zahler, author of THE THIRTEENTH PRINCESS (Harper Collins):

"Fairy tale retellings allow heroines to take charge of their lives and break out of the passive princess role."

Suzanne Selfors, author of SAVING JULIET (Walker) about a girl who goes into the story of ROMEO & JULIET to try and save Juliet's life. (She's also the new YA COFFEEHOUSE ANGEL, which I got a signed copy of today!):

"Before Edward and Bella...Romeo and Juliet were the world's most famous teenagers."

Malinda Lo, author of ASH (Little Brown), a retelling of Cinderella in which the main character is gay:

"It's really a story about grief and love, things we've all experienced."

She also reminded us that LBGT stories can be a great comfort to teens.

"When I was a teen, if I'd read ASH, I might have figured things out a little sooner, and it wouldn't have been so scary."

Shannon Hale, author of GOOSE GIRL, RAPUNZEL'S REVENGE, and more (Bloomsbury) talked about how the fairy tales that infuriate her are the ones that inspire her to write. She ranted a bit about the prince who visits Rapunzel repeatedly in her tower in the traditional fairy tale.

"Does he EVER think to bring a ladder?? There's no excuse for this prince!"

After the panel, I met up with Loree Griffin Burns to talk about our afternoon panel and explore the exhibit hall a bit. My editor Mary Kate took the train in from New York so she could be there for our panel, which made me so, so happy!



The brilliant MK also shared some cover sketches for SUGAR ON SNOW. They are gorgeous, and thinking about a cover makes the book seem that much closer. It's scheduled for December 2010. We had lunch across the street from the convention center, here...



This is Reading Terminal Market, an enormous indoor market with every kind of food and treat you could imagine. I had a chicken burrito plate that was so big it seemed like the plate was still full no matter how much I ate.

Then it was time for some book-stalking (and author spotting!) in the exhibit hall. How many faces & covers do you recognize?











Mallinda Lo, signing copies of ASH.



Jenny Moss, signing ARCs of SHADOW (Scholastic, 2010). Jenny and I will both be signing at the Bloomsbury/Walker booth from 9:30-10:10 tomorrow morning.



Gene Luen Yang, whose books I love...but I didn't have a chance to get one signed because it was time for our panel, "Stories & Standards: Pairing Fiction & Nonfiction." Here we are:


From left to right, Jenny Moss, Loree Griffin Burns, Teri Lesesne, Tanya Lee Stone, & me.

If you weren't there, don't feel left out... You can click here to see our presentation and download our handouts on the Teachers page of my website. And our facilitator, the wise and bookish Teri Lesesne, aka professornana , also tweeted our workshop while it was happening, so you can click here and scroll down to read her posts.

Here's my schedule for tomorrow:

9:30-10:30 Signing THE BRILLIANT FALL OF GIANNA Z. in the Walker/Bloomsbury booth. (and they're offering books at a 50% discount, too!)

11:45-12:15 Being interviewed for the ReadWriteThink podcast for IRA

2:30-3:40 Middle Level Mosaic - which I understand to be sort of an author speed-dating event. It sound like fun!

I have more to blog, but right now it's time for tonight's publisher dinner with a bunch of bookstore people and NCTE folks. I actually made a joke about not being able to attend because I needed to stay back in my room to read all my ARCs. No one was particularly amused, so off I go. More tomorrow.... Read the rest of this post

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Sending you to "displaced Dene," a blog run by Tenille Campbell. She's got some things to say about the House of Night series...

Tenille Campbell is Dene (First Nations) from Northern Saskatchewan. From reading her site, I gather Campbell is studying writing at the University of British Columbia with the AWESOME Richard Van Camp. Regular readers know I think Richard's work is terrific. If I'm not mistaken, Nicola I. Campbell also studied writing with Richard. As noted earlier today, Nicola's book, Shin-chi's Canoe just won a major literature prize. So! We should keep an eye out for Tenille Campbell. She says that Richard has a new comic book out...  I should follow up on that!

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