House Pizzeria, on Airport Boulevard, offers a thin crust Neapolitan style pizza.  I had the pleasure of having lunch there today with authors Jennifer Ziegler and Chris Barton. 

We ordered a sausage-and-mushroom and a pepperoni pizza.  Both were excellent, with a nice thin crust and abundant toppings.  I ended up liking the sausage a bit more than the pepperoni, but then I generally tend to prefer sausage to pepperoni :-).
Both are recommended, however.  (And the salad (not pictured) was also quite good).

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Just up Burnet Road from Pinthouse Pizza is Brooklyn Pie Company, which serves a more traditional New York-style pizza.  Although the place has a few tables, it's mostly carry-out, with a walk-up counter for ordering.

I ordered a gyro, onion, green pepper, and mushroom pie.  Overall, it had an agrreably crispy crust with a lot of cheesy goodness and abundant toppings.  The sauce was minimal, but sufficient for flavor, and the gyro meat could've been a bit thicker, but had a decent flavor and complemented the other toppings.

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Day 4 of A Pizza a Day Diet came from Pinthouse Pizza on Burnet Road.

I ordered an "artisanal sausage," green pepper, and mushroom pizza, with a side wedge salad.  The trust was a traditional thin crust (not ultra-thin, like a Neapolitan) and had a slightly bread-like texture with a good body and taste that was not, in fact, bready. 

The artisanal sausage was quite good (I'm beginning to think that the art of sausage-making is making a comeback, which I attribute to the fact that readers of TOFU AND T.REX are coming into their own in the restaurant business :-)).  The cheese and the sauce were well-balanced and flavorful.

And, of course,they're a brewpub with some excellent selections...  

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Day 3 of this iteration of Pizza a Day Diet was at Salvation Pizza!  They have two locations: one on 34th Street (around where Dragon's Lair was back in the day) and a new one on Rainey Street.  Because I'm a parking masochist, I went to the Rainey Street location (they also do delivery, but not to where I'm at). That said, I didn't encounter difficulties parking -- there's a public parking lot nearby and there were actually spots in front of the restaurant (although I went during off hours).

The place was crisp and clean, in one of the newer buildings close to the Town Lady Bird Lake.
I ordered a 14-inch sausage, onion, and mushroom pizza.  It came really hot out of the oven -- the cheese was nicely gooey and you could almost see the steam rising from the marinara.

The sausage came in nice large slices and had excellent slightly spicy Italian sausage flavor without any greasiness.  The onions were al dente (the way I like them), as were the mushrooms.  So, too, were the chunks of tomatoes in the sauce.  The crust was of the ultra-thin variety, with a crisp edge and chewy bottom.  Like St. Philip, they also feature "white" pizzas without a marinara, which I am anxious to try next time.

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Today's pizza came from St. Philip, a pizza place with the look and feel of a sushi bar, which seems appropriate, since it's by the same folks responsible for Uchi.  The pizzas are all thin crust, and they give the option of "traditional" sauce and "white."  The latter apparently means there is no tomato sauce at all, which is just wrong :-).  Although I'm slightly curious about it...

I had the House Meatball, which features "ricotta, grilled onion, garlic, basil, [and] chili flakes."


The pizza itself hit the mark on all four of the Very Important Pizza Criteria: crust, cheese, sauce, and toppings.

Crust was nicely textured, with a good level of chewiness and it stood up to the ingredients without getting soggy.  The sauce had a good flavor and was proportional with the cheese - neither overpowered the other and the combination had an elegant subtlety.

And the meatballs were fantastic (and they also sell them as an appetizer).  I might go back just for those.


The only thing I wasn't totally crazy about was the basil -- yes, they added a nice color and texture and flavor, but I kind of object to leaves on my pizza as a matter of principle --  they end up looking wilted and sort of look like the thing has been sitting under a tree in a windstorm.

Still, very, very good, and with reasonable prices and excellent, friendly service -- and I'm curious to try some of their more exotic offerings.

Oh, and did I mention they have their own bakery?

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A few years back, when Cyn was teaching at the Vermont College of Fine Arts Writing for Children and Young Adults residency, I decided to conduct a culinary experiment: a comparison (and blog report) of various pizza joints around Austin during the course of about ten days.  I also made a couple pizzas of my own.

The rules were these: aside from a dinner salad prior to the pizza, my meals were pizza for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  For the record, the first time I did it, I lost five pounds; the second time, two and a half.

Here's the inaugural post from 2009:  A Pizza a Day and Other Weird Activities.  To view the entire 2009 line up, just click the "pizza a day" label.

I tried this again January 2015, but posted only to my Facebook account (I'll probably reproduce the posts here soon).  So, this summer, as Cyn heads off to the summer residency, I decided to try it again, with a whole new pizzeria lineup.  (The number of pizza restaurants in Austin has expanded dramatically in the past six years).

And, tonight, I started with the Austin incarnation of Gino's East, one of the great trifecta of Chicago deep dish pizzas (Uno's, Gino's East, Lou Malnati's).

The restaurant just opened and they don't have delivery or carry out yet, but the actual place is charming: a long narrow Sixth Street establishment, with a bar along one side, brick walls and cast iron chandeliers.


The pizza itself was outstanding: the corn meal crust was rich and had a thin bottom with structural integrity that stayed crisp and didn't overwhelm with breadiness. The Gino's East crust is traditionally my favorite of the deep dish pizzas, and this did not disappoint.
I ordered the "Gino's Supreme," with sausage, mushrooms, onions, and green peppers.  The sausage was plentiful, with large flavorful chunks.  The cheese was nicely gooey but not overpowering, and the vegetables were likewise plentiful.  The tomatoes were just a tad sweeter than I typically like, but were a nice contrast to the richness of the crust, and also accommodated the red pepper flakes. 

In sum, it wasn't quite the same as the original, but very good nevertheless.  And the best part?  Leftovers!

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Welcome librarians, publishers, and book lovers of all kinds!!

This week, the Texas Library Association holds its annual conference here in Austin!

Cynthia will be signing the books in the TANTALIZE and FERAL series, and I will have a special preview and cover reveal for BORROWED TIME on Wednesday (see below)!

Here's a list of signings by other awesome Austin authors and illustrators (collected this year by Christina Soontornvat).  (Note that times and locations are subject to change):

Wednesday

Jessica Lee ANDERSON: Overlooked Books booth, 2 pm - 3 pm

Chandler BAKER : Disney-Hyperion booth, 1 pm - 2 pm

Chris BARTON: Author Signing area 2 pm - 3 pm
Author Signing area , 3:30 - 4:30 pm

Anne BUSTARD: Author Signing area, Aisle 6, 11 am - 12 pm

K.A. HOLT: Author Signing area, 3 pm - 3:45 pm

Bethany HEGEDUS: Author Signing area, 10:15 am - 11 am

P.J. HOOVER: Tor Books booth, 11 am - 11:45 am
Overlooked Books booth, 2 pm - 3 pm

Jacqueline KELLY: Author Signing area 110:30 am - 11:30 am

Susie Kralovansky, Pelican Books booth, 12 pm - 2 pm

Nikki LOFTIN: Author Signing area, 1 pm - 2 pm
Perma-Bound Books booth, 3 pm - 4 pm

Mari MANCUSI: Sourcebooks booth, 3 pm

Corey Putnam OAKES: Overlooked Books booth, 10:15 am

Liz Garton SCANLON: Simon & Schuster booth, 3 pm

Cynthia Leitich SMITH: Author Signing area, 11:30 am - 12:30 pm

Greg Leitich SMITH: Author Signing area, Aisle 4, 2 pm - 3 pm


Thursday

Salima ALIKHAN: Pelican booth, 11 am - 1 pm

Brian ANDERSON: Overlooked Books booth, 2:30 - 4 pm

Paige BRITT: Author Signing area, 2 pm - 3 pm

Anne BUSTARD: Publishers Spotlight booth (#1757), 3 pm - 4 pm

Jeff CROSBY: Pelican booth, 10 am - 12 pm
Holiday House booth, 9 am -10 am

Shelley Anne JACKSON: Pelican booth, 10 am - 12 pm

Lindsey LANE: Overlooked Books booth, 1 pm - 2 pm

Jeanette LARSON: Overlooked Books booth, 10 am - 11 am

Cynthia LEVINSON: Peachtree booth, 11:30 am

Corey Putnam OAKES: Sourcebooks booth 1:30 - 2:30 pm

Liz Garton SCANLON: Overlooked Books booth, 11 am

Friday

Chris BARTON, Author Signing are, 9 am - 10 am

Susie KRALOVANSKY, Pelican Books booth, 9 am - 11 am

Marsha RITI: Pelican Books booth, 9 am - 12 pm

Brian YANSKY: Candlewick Books booth, 10 am - 11 am

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 Here's the preliminary list of trade picture books and novels scheduled for publication from Austin authors and illustrators next year!  And click the link for previous years' books by Austin authors and illustrators!


Middle Grade/Tween

HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON: DO ALL THE GOOD YOU CAN, by Cynthia Levinson (Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins 2016)

UNTITLED NOVEL, by Jo Whittemore (HarperCollins 2016).

CROSS MY HEART, by Mari Mancusi (Aladdin/Simon & Schuster 2016).

TO CATCH A CHEAT, by Varian Johnson (Arthur Levine/Scholastic, Spring 2016).

RED MOON RISING, by K.A. Holt (McElderry/Simon & Schuster, 2016).

BEYOND THE RAILS, by K.A. Holt (Chronicle, 2016).

DINOSAUR BOY SAVES MARS, by Cory Putnam Oakes (Sourcebooks, February 2016).

Young Adult

HIGH SCHOOL HORROR STORY, by Chandler Baker (Feiwel & Friends/Macmillan, Winter 2016).

Picture Books

CARROT HAWK, by Chris Barton, ill. by tbd (Hyperion, Spring 2016).

WHOOSH!, by Chris Barton, ill. by Don Tate (Charlesbridge 2016).

EN GARDE! ABRAHAM LINCOLN'S DUELING WORDS, by Donna Janell Bowman  (Peachtree, TBD)

STRONGMAN, by Don Tate (Charlesbridge, Fall 2016).

SUPER TRUCK, by Chris Barton, ill. by Troy Cummings (HarperCollins 2016)

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The 2014 Texas Book Festival is over -- and, as usual, what a great event!  Varian Johnson, Jennifer Ziegler, and I had a blast on the "Capers, Cons, and Catastrophes" panel moderated by Anne Bustard. 

Anne Bustard, me, and Jennifer Ziegler

Here are some more pics from the weekend's events:

In the Green Room (cw from left): Anne Bustard, Me, Jennifer Ziegler, Varian Johnson, Varsha Bajaj, Nikki Loftin, Cyn

Erszi Deak, Carmen Oliver, and me at the Texas Monthly breakfast

Jo Whittemore and me in the Green Room

Me and Cyn before #WeNeedDiverseBooks panel

Me, Varsha, Cyn and Trent Reedy at the Saturday night party

Me and Lindsey Lane

Donna Janell Bowman photobombs Carmen Oliver, PJ Hoover, and Cyn

Many thanks to all the organizers, volunteers, and sponsors! 

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This is sort of a throwback Thursday (#tbt) kind of thing:  A few years back, I penned a handful of essays on Japanese American Legal History for an earlier version of the Cynthia Leitich Smith Children’s Literature Resources; now, revised (slightly), they are available on my web site!

Being of Japanese and German descent ("hapa"), I originally wrote these essays out of a concern that, to the extent that the history of Japanese Americans was known, such knowledge focused almost entirely on the Internment, at the expense of other aspects of the societal and legal regime that affect, and have affected, Japanese Americans.
  
Although the essays include case cites, they are intended to be readable by a general audience. :-).

Here's the link to the splash page.

Japanese American Legal History (General) discusses immigration and naturalization issues, as well alien land laws.  Japanese American Legal History (The Internment) discusses the World War II internment of Japanese Americans and the related Supreme Court cases. Finally, Japanese American Legal History (Enemy Aliens and Habeas Corpus) discuss other legal aspects of internment and treatment of enemy aliens and habeas corpus generally.

For more general information on Japanese American history, check out the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles.

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e.E. Charlton-Trujillo

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Last weekend, I had an awesome time being a panelist at the Tweens Read Book Festival, held at South Houston High School in Pasadena.  In all, more than 1700 tween readers showed up to hear keynotes by Jacqueline Woodson and Margaret Peterson Haddix, as well as any three of five panels of authors.  For the complete list, click here.

My panel was called "Houston, We Have Problems," and featured six authors in a lively discussion of science fiction for tweens:  

Greg Leitich Smith - Little Green Men at the Mercury Inn
Stu Gibbs - Space Case
Jennifer Brown - Life on Mars
Will Alexander - Ambassador
Jessica Brody - Unforgotten
Matt London - The 8th Continent

Check out some pictures:

The students gather for the opening keynote

Jennifer Holm, Jennifer Ziegler, Varsha Bajaj

Megan Frazer Blakemore, Kirby Larson, Jenni Holm, and me

Me and Bruce Hale, with Jonathan Auxier (background)

Authors gathered onstage for introductions

Matt London, Jessica Brody, Jennifer Brown, and me

Signing stock

Natalie Lloyd, Varian Johnson, Jennifer Holm, Jennifer Ziegler, Varsha Bajaj

Cynthia Leitich Smith and Jacqueline Woodson

Megan Frazer Blakemore, a South Houston Trojan, and me

Many thanks to all the organizers, sponsor, and volunteers, especially Blue Willow Books!

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The view from the Waterford School, site of the WIFYR workshops

Cyn and I are just back from WIFYR 2014 -- the Writing and Illustrating for Young Readers conference run by the awesome Carol Lynch Williams, where we each led an Advanced Novel workshop.

My workshoppers took me out to lunch

 In the mornings, we led workshops, critiquing manuscripts, and giving and reading writing exercises.  The afternoon was filled with speeches by various faculty members, panels of authors, editors, and agents, and a keynote (this year, by James Dashner). 

Cyn and I taught it two years ago and we were delighted to be asked back -- it's one of our favorite events of its kind and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in working on their craft.  This year, workshop faculty included Ken Baker, A.E. Cannon, Cheri Pray Earl, Lisa Mangum, J. Scott Savage, Shawn K. Stout, Carol Lynch Williams, Cyn, and me.  Editor/agent faculty included John Cusick, Kristin Ostby, Michelle Witte, and Amy Jameson.

Here are some pics of the event:

Me and food at Barbwire and Lace

John and Kristin

Me during one afternoon session on Voice

Cyn and I during the signing

Ken, John, Jeff

Carol and Cyn

Cyn and me and the goat that tried to eat her dress

My assistant -- Stephanie the Awesome -- decorated the room with dinos and lgm

Some of my class

Me and Allosaurus.  Because we had to go to the Natural History Museum of Utah.

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Varian, Jenn, me, and out little green friends.  Photo by Dave Wilson.

Yesterday was joint launch party for LITTLE GREEN MEN AT THE MERCURY INN; Jennifer Ziegler's REVENGE OF THE FLOWER GIRLS; and Varian Johnson's THE GREAT GREENE HEIST!

In addition to a photo booth with inflatable little green men, we did a reader's theater of scenes from each of our books, complete with costumes.

The refreshments table was semi-thematic and included fruit and cheese and vegetable platters from Whole Foods; wine, water, and Tang; "wedding" cake;and chocolate chip cookies made by Nikki Loftin!  Thanks to everyone who came and bought books -- your support meant a lot to us.

Me, Jenn, Varian, and moderator Tim Crowe, performing from REVENGE OF THE FLOWER GIRLS (Hence the red hair :-)).  Photo by Dave Wilson.

Jenn, Varian, me, and Tim Crowe during Q&A.  Photo by Dave Wilson.

Varian wears the little green man glasses. Photo by Dave Wilson.

At the signing table.  Photo by Dave Wilson.

The refreshments table.  Photo by Dave Wilson.

Wide angle view of the assemblage.  Photo by Dave Wilson.

Nikki and Cyn.  Photo by Dave Wilson.

Signing Little Green Men at the Mercury Inn.  Photo by Dave Wilson.

Many thanks to everyone who pitched in and/or helped out:  Tim Crowe was sublime as Master of Ceremonies (a role he also plays in Round Rock's annual Sam Bass shootout); Anne Bustard, Debbie Gonzales, Lindsey Lane, and others were masterful supervising refreshments; Cyn was irreplaceable (but you knew that already); and BookPeople was, as always, outstanding!

Thanks also to everyone who helped carry stuff in; set up; and break down!  And to those supported us by coming and buying books! 

Awesome photos above are by Dave Wilson of Dave Wilson Photography.  Go check out his portfolio!

And see the event report on Cynsations!

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I am delighted to announce that LITTLE GREEN MEN AT THE MERCURY INN is now available at bookstores everywhere!  It's the comedic story of three friends at a motel in Cocoa Beach and what happens the day after a space shuttle launch is scrubbed due to the appearance of a UFO over Cape Canaveral!

“In this gleefully absurd tale, Smith (Chronal Engine) unfurls a series of alien-inspired hijinks at a space-themed motel on Florida’s Space Coast…Arnold’s skillfully drafted spot cartoons give this offbeat story a lively layout and match Smith’s light and breezy tone, grounded by the occasional serious moment. The result is an engaging, humorous look at humans learning that they’re not alone in the universe.”
–Publishers Weekly  (For the complete review, click here)


“The Mercury Inn…shelters a colorful cast of characters…in a plot that twists and turns like a roller coaster through the engaging setting. The book design and spot cartoon art with a retro space-age feel work well with the wacky characters and situations of this enjoyably beach-y sci-fi escape.”
–The Horn Book

“The quirky setting and diverse characters add originality.  An accessible and whimsical read, this should have wide appeal.”
–School Library Journal

Head on over to Cynsations for an interview and giveaway!

And come on out to BookPeople at 2 pm on June 14, for MIDDLE GRADE MAYHEM, when Jennifer Ziegler and Varian Johnson join me at a party celebrating all our new middle grade releases! We promise lots of mayhem and shenanigans!  And, quite possibly, an alien from outer space!

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The recent #WeNeedDiverseBooks and #DiversifyYourShelves campaigns got me thinking about the remarkable Austin and Texas youth literature community.  I thought I'd highlight some of the diverse books by diverse Texas authors.  So here's the novel/chapter book edition.

Note that while some of the books feature "diversity" themes and plot lines, in other cases, diversity is reflected in the characters and the circumstances of their environments.

Note, too, that unless otherwise identified with a key code (see below), the book is young adult, traditionally 12+, but in some cases 14+.

Key code:
tw = tween (10-14)
mg = middle grade (8-12)
cb = chapter book (7-10)
gn = graphic novel

Jessica Lee Anderson
BORDER CROSSING

Varsha Bajaj
ABBY SPENCER GOES TO BOLLYWOOD (mg)

Shana Burg
A THOUSAND NEVER EVERS (mg)
LAUGH WITH THE MOON (tw)

e.E. Charlton-Trujillo
FAT ANGIE

Bethany Hegedus
TRUTH WITH A CAPITAL T (mg)

Varian Johnson
THE GREAT GREENE HEIST (mg)
MY LIFE AS A RHOMBUS
SAVING MADDIE
RED POLKA DOT IN A ROOMFUL OF PLAID

Lynne Kelly
CHAINED (mg)

Cynthia Levinson
WE'VE GOT A JOB: THE 1963 BIRMINGHAM CHILDREN'S MARCH (mg)

Diana Lopez
CONFETTI GIRL (mg)
ASK MY MOOD RING HOW I FEEL (mg)

Guadalupe Garcia McCall
UNDER THE MESQUITE
SUMMER OF THE MARIPOSAS

Dia Reeves
SLICE OF CHERRY
BLEEDING VIOLET

Benjamin Saenz
LAST NIGHT I SANG TO THE MONSTERS
SAMMY AND JULIANA IN HOLLYWOOD

Alex Sanchez
SO HARD TO SAY
RAINBOW BOYS
RAINBOW HIGH
RAINBOW ROAD

Cynthia Leitich Smith
FERAL NIGHTS
FERAL CURSE
FERAL PRIDE (forthcoming)
TANTALIZE
ETERNAL
BLESSED
DIABOLICAL
TANTALIZE: KIEREN'S STORY (gn)
ETERNAL: ZACHARY'S STORY (gn)
INDIAN SHOES (cb)
RAIN IS NOT MY INDIAN NAME (tw)

Greg Leitich Smith
LITTLE GREEN MEN AT THE MERCURY INN (mg)
CHRONAL ENGINE (mg/tw)
CHRONAL ENGINE: BORROWED TIME (forthcoming) (mg/tw)
TOFU AND T.REX (mg/tw)
NINJAS, PIRANHAS, AND GALILEO (mg/tw)

Tim Tingle
HOUSE OF PURPLE CEDAR

Jo Whittemore
D IS FOR DRAMA (mg)
FRONT PAGE FACE-OFF  (mg)
ODD GIRL IN  (mg)

Lori Aurelia Williams
SHAYLA'S DOUBLE BABY BROWN BLUES
WHEN KAMBIA ELAINE FLEW IN FROM NEPTUNE
BROKEN CHINA
MAXINE BANKS IS GETTING MARRIED

Jennifer Ziegler
SASS AND SERENDIPITY (tw)
ALPHA DOG (tw)
HOW NOT TO BE POPULAR (tw)
REVENGE OF THE FLOWER GIRLS (mg)

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My editor just sent me this fantastic review of LITTLE GREEN MEN AT THE MERCURY INN from Publishers Weekly!

"In this gleefully absurd tale, Smith (Chronal Engine) unfurls a series of alien-inspired hijinks at a space-themed motel on Florida’s Space Coast...Arnold’s skillfully drafted spot cartoons give this offbeat story a lively layout and match Smith’s light and breezy tone, grounded by the occasional serious moment. The result is an engaging, humorous look at humans learning that they’re not alone in the universe."

--Publishers Weekly

And check out these awesome blurbs!

"Aliens, government coverups, bionic limbs, kooky scientists, luau pigs, conspiracy theories, and mysterious patio furniture—I don't know about you, but these are the things I look for in a great story. Little Green Men at the Mercury Inn has all of them, plus a huge dose of humor. Read it and enjoy, but be warned: You may never want to eat roast pork ever again."

—Matthew Holm, co-creator of Babymouse and Squish

“Here is a story for everyone who has ever wondered if that brilliant green light was a UFO.  It's for everyone who has ever imagined living on Mars. In short, it's for everyone who has ever asked the question, 'who am I, really?’  Read it, then make your reservations at the Mercury Inn.  Just don’t be alarmed if you find an alien in the refrigerator."

--Kathi Appelt, Newbery Honor author of The Underneath

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Next week is the Texas Library Association Annual Conference in San Antonio!  As usual, there are a bunch of Texas authors signing books and/or ARCs.  Here's what I've got so far.  Note that times and places are subject to change.  The complete schedule for authors signing in the Author Area is available here.


Tuesday, April 8:

6:00-7:00 Jennifer Ziegler, Booth 1823 (Scholastic)

Wednesday April 9:

10:15 - 11:00 Lupe Ruiz-Flores, Author Area
10:15 - 11:00 Don Tate, Author Area
10:15-11:00 P.J. Hoover, Booth 2522 (Overlooked Books)
10:15-11:00 Jessica Lee Anderson, Booth 2522 (Overlooked Books)

11:00-12:00 Dotti Enderle, Author Area
11:00-12:00 Jo Whittemore, Booth 1443 (Book Festivals of Texas)

12:00-1:00 Rachel Caine, Booth 1443 (Book Festivals of Texas)

1:00-2:00 Molly Blaisdell,  Booth 1443 (Book Festivals of Texas)

2:00-3:00 Cynthia Leitich Smith, Author Area
2:00-3:00 Libba Bray, Author Area
2:00-3:00 Greg Leitich Smith, Booth 1443 (Book Festivals of Texas)
2:00-3:00 Victoria Scott, Booth 1443 (Book Festivals of Texas)
2:00-3:00 Don Tate, Booth 2440 (Charlesbridge)

3:00-4:00 Liz Garton Scanlon, Author Area
3:00-4:00 Varian Johnson, Author Area
3:00-4:00 E.E. Charlton-Trujillo, Author Area 

3:00-4:00 PJ Hoover, Booth 1443 (Book Festivals of Texas)
3:00-4:00 Jessica Lee Anderson, Booth 1443 (Book Festivals of Texas)

4:00-5:00 K.A. Holt, Author Area 

4:00-5:00 Kay Honeyman, Booth 1443 (Book Festivals of Texas)

Thursday, April 10

9:00-10:00 Nikki Loftin, Author Area
9:00-10:00 Don Tate, Booth 2522 (Overlooked Books)

10:00-11:00 Lupe Ruiz-Flores, Author Area

10:45-11:15 P.J. Hoover, Booth 1448 (Tor)

11:00-12:00 Joy Preble, Author Area

12:00-1:00 Dotti Enderle, Booth 1443 (Book Festivals of Texas)

1:00-2:00 E. Kristin Anderson, Author Area
1:00-2:00 Jerry Hatchett, Booth 1443 (Book Festivals of Texas)

2:00-3:00 Sophie Jordan, Author Area
2:00-3:00 Mari Mancusi,  Booth 1443 (Book Festivals of Texas)
2:00-3:00 Krissi Dallas,  Booth 1443 (Book Festivals of Texas)
2:00-3:00 A.G. Howard,  Booth 1443 (Book Festivals of Texas)

3:00-4:00 Varsha Bajaj, Booth 1548 (Albert Whitman)

Friday, April 11

9:30-10:30  Bethany Hegedus, Booth 1443 (Book Festivals of Texas)
9:30-10:30  Joy Preble, Booth 1443 (Book Festivals of Texas)

10:00-11:00 Lupe Ruiz-Fores, Author Area

11:00-12:00 Kathi Appelt, Author Area

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Jeff Crosby (l) and C.S. Jennings (r) at Comic Con

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I am delighted to announce that the audio book version of CHRONAL ENGINE is now available from audible.com!  Click here to download/order!

The narrator is Andrew Keltz, who has a background in theatre and has a BA from Northwestern University.

Boo!

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I'm thrilled to present the cover art I just received for LITTLE GREEN MEN AT THE MERCURY INN (Roaring Brook Press/Macmillan 2014)!  It's by Andrew Arnold, who also did the interior illos.

LITTLE GREEN MEN AT THE MERCURY INN is a comedic middle grade story about three friends at a motel in Cocoa Beach, Florida, and what happens when a manned space launch at Kennedy Space Center is scrubbed due to the appearance of an unidentified flying object over Cape Canaveral.

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Welcome to Day 12 of A Dino a Day Strikes Back, celebrating the paperback release of CHRONAL ENGINE, and the new editions of NINJAS, PIRANHAS, AND GALILEO and TOFU AND T.REX!

The paperback of CHRONAL ENGINE is available today!

Today's T-shirt is from Zazzle.com and features a riff on the popular WWII slogan "Keep Calm and Carry On."  I confess that I kind of prefer Churchill's formulation: "For each and for all, as for the Royal Navy, the watchword should be 'Carry on and Dread Nought.'"

But "Keep Calm and Ignore the Raptor" is pretty good, too.

The pictures were taken at Moody Gardens in Galveston last summer, at their Dinos Alive! exhibit.   They basically had about a dozen animatronic dinosaurs on display in conjunction with a 3D movie - the premise of which seemed to be a bunch of folks getting lost in the past :-) (We didn't see the movie itself).

They didn't have a Velociraptor, but they did have an Ornithomimus, which qualifies as a "maniraptor," and hence "raptor."  (Okay, I'm stretching it a little).  Anyway, here are the pics:

Big theropod head for posing next to/on top of

Baryonyx and me

Styracosaurus

Ornithomimus

T.rex, naturally

A nest of Edmontosaurus

A Dino a Day Strikes Back Previous Days
Day 1: Palmer Events Center (Austin Marathon Expo)
Day 2: Texas Memorial Museum 
Day 3: Waller Creek Boat House
Day 4: Hartmann Prehistoric Garden
Day 5: UT Alumni Center
Day 6: O. Henry House and Museum
Day 7: Santa Rita Rig No. 1
Day 8: Texas Memorial Museum (Piranhas)
Day 9: Night Wing
Day 10: Austin Nature and Science Center Day 11:Japanese Garden at Zilker Park

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Welcome to Day 11 of A Dino a Day Strikes Back, celebrating the paperback release of CHRONAL ENGINE, and the new editions of NINJAS, PIRANHAS, AND GALILEO and TOFU AND T.REX!

DINOSAUR!  In Japanese.  So it seemed appropriate to take the picture at the Japanese Garden in Zilker Park in Austin.  Photos are by Sam Bond of Sam Bond Photography.

On the stepping stones over the koi pond

A Dino a Day Strikes Back Previous Days
Day 1: Palmer Events Center (Austin Marathon Expo)
Day 2: Texas Memorial Museum 
Day 3: Waller Creek Boat House
Day 4: Hartmann Prehistoric Garden
Day 5: UT Alumni Center
Day 6: O. Henry House and Museum
Day 7: Santa Rita Rig No. 1
Day 8: Texas Memorial Museum (Piranhas)
Day 9: Night Wing
Day 10: Austin Nature and Science Center

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Welcome to Day 10 of A Dino a Day Strikes Back, celebrating the paperback release of CHRONAL ENGINE, and the new editions of NINJAS, PIRANHAS, AND GALILEO and TOFU AND T.REX!

 Poor T.rex, his arms never get any respect. :-).  But they're still bigger than Carnotaurus's...

Today's T-shirt is from zazzle.com and features pics from the Austin Nature and Science Center at Zilker Park.  The place has a visitor's center and a great garden and pond, along with a Dino Pit and a Birds of Prey exhibit.  Definitely worth a visit!

At the pond

All these guys were there in the Cretaceous except the heron (and the human)

Barn owl!

A Dino a Day Strikes Back Previous Days
Day 1: Palmer Events Center (Austin Marathon Expo)
Day 2: Texas Memorial Museum 
Day 3: Waller Creek Boat House
Day 4: Hartmann Prehistoric Garden
Day 5: UT Alumni Center
Day 6: O. Henry House and Museum
Day 7: Santa Rita Rig No. 1
Day 8: Texas Memorial Museum (Piranhas) 
Day 9: Night Wing

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Welcome to Day 9 of A Dino a Day Strikes Back, celebrating the paperback release of CHRONAL ENGINE, and the new editions of NINJAS, PIRANHAS, AND GALILEO and TOFU AND T.REX!

Nightwing!

Okay, not exactly. :-).


Today's Dino a Day T-shirt features T.rex on a bicycle with the moon in the background, a riff on the iconic scene from E.T. Naturally, T.rex is not using the handlebars.   T-shirt is from zazzle.com.

I'm standing next to the Night Wing sculpture at the corner of Congress Avenue and Barton Springs Road, near the Congress Avenue Bridge, home to the world's largest urban bat colony.


Alas, it doesn't seem that bats evolved until after the Cretaceous, but appeared not long after.

 A Dino a Day Strikes Back Previous Days
Day 1: Palmer Events Center (Austin Marathon Expo)
Day 2: Texas Memorial Museum 
Day 3: Waller Creek Boat House
Day 4: Hartmann Prehistoric Garden
Day 5: UT Alumni Center
Day 6: O. Henry House and Museum
Day 7: Santa Rita Rig No. 1
Day 8: Texas Memorial Museum (Piranhas)

Add a Comment