Biggest news in a while - The Stolen One will be in the June issue of Seventeen magazine! It's going to be a featured book in an entertainment guide. Woohoo!!!

When I was a girl I always wished of being a writer and having a bookshelf just of my own books. Well, now I have enough to start that bookshelf: German edition of VOE, The Stolen One ARC, Hardback VOE, VOE ARC, and most recently, paperback of VOE:





And in several months I'll be able to add the hardcover of "The Stolen One." I can't wait for this book to come out. I'm so excited! I'm working on various ideas for beautiful bookmarks, giveaway baskets, and other swag!




The paperback of The Very Ordered Existence of Merilee Marvelous came in the mail on Saturday. There's a quote from the Rocky Mountain News on the front - "Crowley is a wonderful storyteller . . . crafting characters that you can't shake from you thoughts - and dont want to." And other blurbs and awards listed on the back. And a whole "Author's Extras" section. There's an interview, essay by me on the Marfa Lights, and Discussion questions.

And they used my photo in the back which was not in the hardcover:




On Friday I received another set of galleys for "The Stolen One" this time with only two queries from my editor. I think we are VERY close to being DONE. DONE.

Several weeks ago I learned my son's class was studying the Caldecott medal. I asked my editor Virginia, who also happens to be Kevin Henkes editor, if Kevin could sign a poster or something for the class. As you all know, Kevin won a Caldecott for his book, Kitten's First Full Moon. Yes, Virginia, responded, we can send a little something. I told Mrs. Baxter, my son's teache about it, and she was so excited because the kids would also be doing a whole unit on Kevin later in the year.

A week or two later a package arrived. Not only was there a signed poster . . .





But an original piece of art from Kevin dedicated to Mrs. Baxter's class!!!!!







Wow!!!! The kids were so excited! Here's some of them looking at the artwork:



And Mrs. Baxter proudly showing the artwork:








And here is me pretending to be a famous author at last year's TLA:




Me, Lynne Rae Perkins, Ruth Katcher, Kevin Henkes, Suzanne Harper and Emilie

My updated website for "The Stolen One" is now officially up at www.suzannecrowley.com, check it out!

Several bloggers have posted about "The Stolen One." Danielle Atwater, at Confessions of a Romance Book Addict" has chosen TSO as cover of the month! Check it out !

http://confessionsofaromancebookaddict.wordpress.com/

Also, The Magic of Ink posted a bit about TSO:

http://inkmagic.blogspot.com/

And lastly, Amazon has a new "Vine Voice" program where they give ARCs to their top reviewers. Here is a little of what Rebecca Herman has to say about "The Stolen One":

"A lovely historical novel for teens set in Elizabethan England. It is a wonderful blend of history, romance, and the classic story of a young woman's search for her identiy and where she belongs in the world."

You can read the full review at:


http://www.amazon.com/gp/cdp/member-reviews/A2VCGJLKGK2WJJ/ref=cm_rna_own_review_more?ie=UTF8&sort%5Fby=MostRecentReview#RH2WT1Y6NJYSO

First of all, I have good news to report about Merilee Marvelous. It's been named a Georgia Children's Book Award Nominee for 2009-2010. Here's the link:


http://www.coe.uga.edu/gcba/pdf/09-10-bookaward-nominees.pdf

This is my second state list to make and I'm so honored.

In other news, last Tuesday I hosted a book signing party for my friend Andrea White for her latest book Radiant Girl. Andrea is also the author of Surviving Antartica (Bluebonnet List Nominiee and Golden Spur award winner) and Window Boy. Andrea hosted a party for me in Houston when Merilee Marvelous came out and so I wanted to return the favor. She did a school visit earlier in the day at Coppell Middle School West with my friend Rose Brock, librarian extradinaire. Here we are having lunch afterwards at P.F. Chang's.




Rose, Andrea & Me

We had a wonderful and spirited discussion about all things books and Rose told us about being there when the Newbery committee made the phone call to Neil Gaiman!

The book signing party was held at my house that evening. We had such a good turnout (over 70 people) that I spend a good part of the evening greeting people at the door and hence forgot to take photos, which was one of my main missions. So all I have is the photo of us at lunch and a photo of Andrea and me at the tail end of the evening when I finally remembered my camera. Luckily, my sister Karen, a talented photographer was there taking photos so as soon as I get them, I'll post another entry with the "middle" of the party!




Andrea and me as she is signing the last of her books. What a nice event!

Paul Volponi, Me, Rosemary Stimola, Mary E. Pearson, Tanya Lee Stone, and David Gill.

This is a photo I've been meaning to post. It's me at the ALAN convention with fellow Stimolaites!

I've been busy getting ready for a book signing party for Andrea White for her new book "Radiant Girl." Andrea hosted a party for me when Merilee came out in Houston and now I am reciprocating in Southlake.

Back to work . . .

Lookey here. "The Stolen One" blown up nice and big at the HarperCollins booth at ALA midwinter. Woo-hoo!!!!!

Thanks to Cindy Pon, a Greenwillowite sister for sending me the photo. Here's another one, showing her ARC, "Silver Phoenix" next to "The Stolen One" on the shelves.




Here's her beautiful cover, taken by the same photographer as mine, Chris Borgman:





I'm in the middle of reading Silver Phoenix, an asian fantasy, right now and am enjoying it immensely! It's extremely well-written with a wonderfully strong heroine!

Here they are - glorious and beautiful advance reading copies of "The Stolen One." The box arrived a couple of weeks ago and I can't bare to remove any - except for the two I gave my daughters to read. There is something about seeing multiple copies at once in a wonderful HarperCollins box that is so satisfying. The only thing better is getting the box of the real thing. It's exciting and nerve-wracking to know my book is out there being read. I've already heard from one bookstore owner who said she loves it. Thank goodness.

I just finished correcting the gallleys of "The Stolen One" December 23rd. I had to find the word "dress" and replace it with "gown" or another term through the entire manuscript. Seems the word "dress" really wasn't used back then since what a sixteenth century woman wore was made up of several pieces. Even the sleeves were attached separately. Another issue I had to resolve was whether my main character could carry a lute in her suitcase. After a lot reseraching I found that indeed there were some lutes made back then as small as 18 inches. So the lute stayed. Now I want to buy a reproduction lute and learn to play it (in my spare time of course).

At the end of November I was priviledged to attend the ALAN convention in San Antonio. I spoke on the "New Voices of YA Literature" with Claudia Martinez who wrote "The Smell of Old Lady's Perfume," and Donna Freitas, author of "The Possibilities of Sainthood," both wonderful reads that I highly recommend.





Donna Freitas and Me

At the ALAN cocktail party I got to meet my agent, Rosemary Stimola, for the first time. She has been my agent for nearly four years and we've never met in person! I also got to meet fellow Stimolaites, David Gill, author of Soul Enchilada and President of ALAN, Paul Volponi, Tanya Lee Stone, and Mary E. Pearson. Great company indeed. I loved Mary's book "The Adoration of Jenna Fox." I saw my friend Rose Brock there (who is on the Newbery committee - a shout out to all the winners today), and later my editor Virginia Duncan. She introduced me to Sid Fleischman, who I was so honored to meet. I googled him when I got home and discovered he is 88 years old. He mentioned he had written a screenplay for John Wayne once. I so wished I could have gone in a guiet corner and talked with him for hours. After the party, a group of us HarperCollins authors went out to dinner at a wonderful restaurant called Biga on the Banks. On the ride over in taxis, we discovered we had three "Virginia's" in the car - me, Virginia Duncan, and Virginia Euwer Wolf. Virginia - not a name you hear much anymore. Later, much later, some of us (Laura Ruby, Allan Strattan, Virginia Euwer Wolf, and me) braved a walk over to another hotel to attend an "author's only champagne party." It was very crowded. You could barely get in the door. My friends Greg and Cynthia Leitich Smith were there as were any famous YA author you can think of. I had fun people watching - especially John Green and M.T. Anderson who were in high spirits. I felt like I was at the equilvalent of a Hollywood party filled with movie stars. When I came home to my hotel, I rode up the elevator with Laurie Halse Anderson, the highlight of my trip according to my middle daughter.

The next night, after attending a day of wonderful panels and speeches, I went out to dinner with Rosemary and it was great to have her all to myself. We talked about family, books, and my writing career.

The next day, my nerves began to set in. Our panel was the last of the convention (the dead-dog panel one author told me) so I had all day for anxieties to rise. I found Claudia Martinez out in the hall and discovered we were both nervous so we decided to go get coffee out in the mall that was connected to the convention center. We spent a long time talking about the writing life and then we slowly, very slowly, walked back to the ballroom about twenty minutes before our panel. Lee Byrd, publisher of Cinco Punto Press, our moderator and Claudia's publisher met us outside. And then it was time for us to go. We each read from our books, which was Lee's idea, so the audience members could hear our voices. We were supposed to have a question and answer session - but our time was up and the next thing we knew we were in the back of the room ready to sign books. My book had not made it in time so I took names and addresses and sent everyone a signed copy of Merilee Marvelous. They are also on the list to receive ARC's. I had a fabulous time and feel I have made some wonderful connections. Thank you David Gill for having me.




Me, Claudia Martinez, Lee Byrd, and Donna Freitas after our panel of New Voices in YA Literature

Here it is! The cover of my second book, "The Stolen One," an Elizabethan set historical with a bit of mystery, intrigue and romance! Click on the cover to get a bigger view.

I just adore it. I think it is so compelling and captures the tone of the story perfectly. It's a beautiful combination of an old master painting and fashion photography. Isn't it haunting? Paul Zakris, art director at Greenwillow designed it. He was inspired by a Nora Jones cover for the pose of the model. Chris Borgman was the photographer.

I had a lot of input for this cover, and it was so exciting. They sent me portfolios by email of models and we all agreed "Courtney" was perfect for our Kat, the main character. Next they sent me photos of dresses and we narrowed it down to the elegant dress shown. I was able to find the necklace about a week before the photo shoot, and they contacted the artist and she quickly made one up and sent it off. It arrived the night before the shoot. Later, Virginia, my editor sent the necklace to me. What a thrill! It will be fun to wear to booksignings and school visits. The pear the model is holding was Virginia's idea. You'll have to wait and read the book to find out the sginificance. I also got to see all the photos from the shoot. I was out running errands and saw on my phone there was an email from Paul with the heading "photo shoot." I've never driven home so fast in my life. They were all gorgeous but ultimately Paul chose the best. Look at those eyes! Interestingly, we did not have a title yet when the cover was being made. That came later, (after months of my editor and I emailing ideas back and forth) and fits perfectly I think with the mood.

"The Stolen One" is set to debut June 1st. 2009.

Wow. It's been seven weeks since I last posted. But I have a good excuse. I've been working on the second and third revisions of "The Stolen One" back to back and just last week completed the first swipe of copyedits and fed-exed off to my editor at three o'clock. Then I quickly got the halloween decorations out, decorated the house, and got my son ready for trick-or-treating. No carved pumpkin this year, but alas, the book has to come first. I'm so excited about it, and hope to post the cover soon. It's the most beautiful cover I have ever seen, if I do say so myself. I'd like to blog about the revision process but I need a little break from that - maybe soon.

The Stolen One comes out June 1st 2009.

I've had some wonderful news lately for VOE. It was a Teddy Award finalist for The Writer's League of Texas Children's Book contest. I drove in to Austin on Saturday and my mother-in-law Mary and sister-in-law Colleen attended with me.



Me, Colleen, and Mary after the ceremony

The awards were handed out at The Texas Book Festival which was held at the Capital. Margo Rabb was the winner for the children's catagory for her book "Cures for Heartbreak." I enjoyed meeting and talking with her. After the ceremony I chatted with Writer's League board member Laura Castro and former board member Diane Hernandez. That night my brother-in-law Kevin cooked us a wonderful meal of barbequed porkchops, homemade cornbread, beans and mashed potatoes. I don't think I've had a home-cooked meal in two months since I've been under the gun with revisions. Food never tasted to good.



Me and Margo Rabb

Other news:

VOE will be out in paperback this summer with a whole bunch of author extras in the back.

VOE has been named an International Reading Association Notable Book:http://www.reading.org/publications/reading_today/samples/RTY-0810-book_awards.html

Also a Texas State Reading Association Children's Literature Award Honor Book (previously called The Golden Spur). I'm invited to their awards luncheon November 14th in Austin. Hooray! I might try to fit in a school visit too.

Also, The Missouri State Teacher Association has put VOE on their Reading Circle Program.

November 24th and 25th I'll be at the ALAN convention in San Antonio speaking on a "New Voices of YA" panel with Donna Freitas, author of The Possibilites of Sainthood, which isnext on my reading list. I'll be having dinner one night with my agent Rosemary Stimola who I have never met in person! I can't wait to meet fellow Greenwillowite David Macinnis Gill whose book Soul Enchilda will be coming out this spring. A great refreshing, orignal voice.

A shout out to Nicole, a middle grader who came to my house to interview me for a journalism project. She was so cute and asked great questions.

Check out this great review of VOE on Youtube:

I've just found out The Very Ordered Existence of Merilee Marvelous has received some recogntion. It's a finalist in The Writer's League of Texas' Teddy Children's Award. I'm invited to a ceremony in November at The Texas Book Festival where we will find out the final winner.

Also VOE is a Golden Spur Honor book, the Texas State Reading Association's best children's book of the year.

Hooray!!!!!!

Rewrites. Rewrites. I've spent the last six weeks this summer working on my first set of rewrites for "The Stolen One" my Elizabethan novel. I emailed my finished work on Sunday, and haven't had time to blog almost all summer. So this is a bit of a retro blog. Above is what my desk looked like on good days while I was working (with the junk food and candy wrappers cleaned up for the photo). Somedays I listend to a DVD (like Sense & Sensibility) to keep me company. Sometimes it was my Ipod. Sometimes I browsed the internet instead of worked. But most of the time I worked and worked very hard, no matter what props or sweets I had at my side. Revisions are not easy. The writer has to make new choices that are not always fun. But what it is ultimately is an oppurtunity to make the book better than it is. Wonderful things are birthed from the process. New beginnings . . .



Some of my research spread out. Amber is doing her best to help.


Now that I'm finished I'm faced with taking my daughter off to college tomorrow and helping her move into her dorm room. I've already been teary-eyed all day. My first born is leaving. But all it is really, is a transition, and life is made up of them. New beginnings . . .

Hey everyone, I'm interviewed today over at Cynsations!

Also, the other day I was at Barnes & Noble going up the escalator when I noticed my book on an endcap - along with other books for the Keller ISD Trailblazer Reading List!

I've been anxiously awaiting for revision notes from my editor. And the package arrived this morning:






I brought it into my study and here it stayed for awhile.







Then I finally gathered the courage and opened it up.






Work begins. Wish me luck.

Hey, today a photo of Naomi Shihab Nye and I was in PW's Children's Bookshelf with a little write up:

http://www.publishersweekly.com/eNewsletter/CA6571536/2788.html

Pretty cool! Okay I admit it. I sent it in. But I never in a million years thought they'd use it. Hooray!

In other news I've found VOE is on five middle school's summer reading lists, including an international school in Japan, and an entire school district middle school list in San Antonio. I sent out about 75 handwritten cards to librarians in San Antonio before my signing there and not one showed up, but I have a feeling one of them nominated my book for the list. You never know what will come through. It's also on several public libraries summer reading lists.

Vover and title news on book 2. After many months of bandying about ideas for the title, not many of which were even close, last Tuesday my editor suggested this title, "The Stolen One," and we both knew immediately it was perfect. Sometimes you just know. It's evocative, mysterious, and memorable. Yea! I love it. My editor and I were both afraid to google it to see if it had been overused but it actually has not been used before at all. I wish I could share the cover, but I think they like to keep these things close to their vests for awhile. But believe me, it is gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous. It looks like an old master painting - very rich in detail, color, and texture. It draws you in, makers you wonder. I know I would buy this book.

And I got to put my two cents in on the model, the dress, and I was able to find a replica Elizabethan necklace that the model wears. I'll blog later on the significance of the necklace and why it is so relevant. And someone had the idea for the model to hold a pear, another genius, symbolic touch that is relevant to the book. I know growing up I loved to glance back at the cover as I was reading and it was so disappointing if the cover didn't work with the story. This cover works. Can't wait for everyone to see it.

Wish me luck with my rewrites.

And . . . received word today that my editor will be sending me my edited manuscript on Monday. Yikes. I'm bracing myself, but at the same time am so excited to revisit the era of Queen Elizabeth!

Last Thursday I had the honor of doing a joint booksigning with the poet Naomi Shihab Nye at The Twig Book Shop in San Antonio. Naomi and I share the same editor, Virginia Duncan at Greenwillow Books. Last fall, Virginia had the idea for Naomi and I to do a joint audio interview because we are both Texas authors and we'd have lots to chat about. Really, there was more than just a Texas connection. After I had turned in my second major revision on VOE, I got news that the editor I had been working with for a year and a half (before I got the contract) had left the company. I thought all was lost. But actually, things swung in motion swiftly after that and it was all because of Marfa. One of the other editors at Greenwillow handed my manuscript to Virginia. She started reading it and thought to herself, this sounds like Marfa. It's Jumbo in the book but is definitely fictionalized Marfa and it's surrounding landscape. And the reason Virginia knew about Marfa is because Naomi had been a poet in residence the year before and had sent Virginia long emails describing the beauty of the country and the Marfa lights, all which play a role in my book. Including a poet in residence, as you readers know. Everything clicked and within two weeks I had a contract. Well, It's much more complicated than that, but in a way, a small connection was made that eventually went far.

Naomi and I had a wonderful joint interview, chatting for two hours and she suggested way back then that we do a signing together. And it finally came to be last week. My daughter Caitlin, just graduated from high school, came with me. Naomi suggested we stay at "The Havana," a wonderfully cozy and quirky old hotel on the riverwalk.





Old suitcases in the lobby. I wondered about what stories they could tell - who owned them, where they'd been.


Our room was quaint with a canopied bed with quilted bedding, interesting old photos and memorabilia on the walls, and an old ceiling fan humming full blast. It took us several cadenced tugs on the pull-string to figure out how to turn it down. I called Naomi to tell her we were settled in and she asked if we had been served rum when we checked in. No rum, I told her, apparently a tradition lost with a new owner. After lunch, Caitlin and I rested a bit, and Naomi came and picked us up early before the signing. She took us to the Japanese Tea Gardens which were built in an old stone quarry at the turn of the century and recently refurbished. They were beyond gorgeous. Beautiful blooming flowers and plants set amongst the old quarry cliffs. There was even a waterfall.



Caitlin and Naomi at the Japanese Tea Gardens

Next Naomi took us to Kathleen Sommers, a shop with Kathleen's own line of clothing, unusual gifts, and regional books. On sale, I bought a beaded tiger evening purse and these gold flats:





Then we were off to the Twig Book Shop. We arrived about thirty minutes early to find a friend of Naomi's was already there to great us. And there was a table set up with Tootsie Pops, graham honeebees for Naomi's new book Honeybee, lemonade, tea, and water.





Soon lots of people arrived. Interesting, nice people - poets, writers, sculpters, old friends of Naomi's and even a mutual friend, Bo Beanland who resides part time in Marfa with her husband Kenny. She brought Naomi and I each a bad of tomatoes from her garden:






And then members of my own family came - aunts and uncles and cousins who I don't get to see much. My father's brother Dewey came with my aunt Martha. And my cousin Cindy and her husband Jack came with their daughter Elizabeth. They brought my Uncle Palmer, who is my mother's brother.



Me, Elizabeth, Jack, Uncle Palmer, Cindy (front) Aunt Martha, Uncle Dewey and Caitlin

Then Naomi and I each did a reading from our books and then took questions from the audience. It went by fast. A blur. Soon we were signing as waves of more people came and went. I had Caitlin draw a dragon in one boy's VOE and he was very pleased, showing it to everyone in the store. One man wanted me to sign his book to a friend who had the nickname Curly. Four or five of us had a long discussion on how to spell it and we all finally agreed there was no "e."


Then it was off to dinner on the riverwalk. We sat outside in a cool breeze and ate Mexican food (my favorite) and talked about our day as the sun set. We signed each others books and talked about writing and life and old Chinese literature. Then it was back to our hotel. Caitlin and I tiptoed up the old wooden stairs and they creaked. We giggled. Caitlin said they were "Nightingale" stairs, a term she learned in Japan, when warriors would install creaky floors to warn them of intruding enemies. We quickly climbed in bed and watched a few minutes of the movie "Big" then quickly fell asleep, me very thankful that a certain poet had gone to Marfa.



Naomi and me at dinner with Honeybee and Merilee

I think that those of us who are writers generally are curious about many things in the world and have lots of passions besides the written word that inspire us. As I've been waiting for my revision notes for book 2 from my editor, I've had a little time to get back to some of my other pastimes - scrapbooking and miniatures. I sometimes jump from project to project, leaving behind UFOs, or unfinished objects as they are known in the miniature world.

My Georgian dollhouse, for example began thirteen years ago when I saw a drawing of it at the workroom of my friend Jon Fish and his partner Larry Osborn of The Guys From Texas studio. "I want one!" I said right then and there. I paid for it with money made from selling my miniature things and several months later it was delivered to me a week before we moved from Austin to Sterling Virginia.





The interior was an empty shell that I intended to finish out. But woodwork and wiring have always intimidated me so I put it off. Well, actually put it off for twelve years. I had good excuses though. We moved five times across the country. I wrote a couple of books. Had another child. Worked on other miniature projects.

When we moved back to Texas a couple of years ago, I called Jon and asked if he would finish out the interior. They came and picked it up and Jon and I corresponded on the finishes. Samples were sent and approved. Emails went back and forth. Old architectual pieces were pulled out of boxes and dusted off and sent to be installed. Finally the finished house was delivered. It was stunning.

But still it sat. VOE was debuting soon and I had another book to write. Again I procrastinated, this time with furnishing such a beautiful structure. And I had plenty of other things to keep me busy - namely writing another book and promoting VOE. FInally I turned in a rough draft of book 2 in February (a couple months passed my deadline) and for the first time in a long time had a breather and could turn back to the dollhouse. I slowley started pulling pieces from my miniature collection and "playing" with them in the rooms. I'm now about 98% finished with the entry way, about 76% finished with the living room, and have just begun with the bedroom.





Entry is loosely based on a Jacque Garcia French room. Fireplace was bought in England 15 years ago.




Beautiful center table made by Ron Hubble. I made the lions which are done in bronze. Gilbert Mena copied the beautiful chair. Original was silvered but after seeing the gorgeous carved woodwork, I didn't have the heart to paint over it. A mirror will go above the mantle.




The living room. Oil painting above fireplace done by Gilbert Mena. The sofa was made by me as was several of the accessories. Rug was taken from an old petit point purse.





Bedroom is inspired by a room in Architectural Digest. I'll make the upholstered pieces; Gilbert Mena will make a few others. Lots of work to do here.



My scrapbook for VOE was another labor of love. It's easy to get carreid away with this hobby, spending more time on an actual page than the real event. So I got a system down with designs and patterns and worked away upstairs in a back room while watching Netflix movies.




Pre-Pub trip to Milwaukee where I had dinner with booksellers



Pre-Pub joint dinner in San Francisco with Harper Reps, booksellers, and author Dean Lorey of Nightmare Academy



Dinner in Marfa (Jumbo) after my booksigning at the store. Look at the beautiful sunset.



Dinner the next night at my mother in law Mary's adobe



Infamous Limo ride (notice fancy limo sticker) with Harper reps, my editor, and FAMOUS authors!

If you look closely, the glare on some of these photos looks like UFO's or the Marfa mystery lights. Look at the photo above, there's one on my arm. And in the photo above, there's one in the distance of the Marfa landscape. The photo is of Blue Mountain, the view from my mother-in-law's home.

Passions and pastimes may be ending quickly, and UFO's will have to remain unfinished. Email today from my editor that I'll be receiving notes soon. Other news from her - VOE will come out in paperback summer of 2009. And I get to add 16 pages of author extras kinda like on a DVD when they have a director's cut! Also, they will be working on a cover for book 2 very soon!

Other news - rabid bird is still on the loose!

Last week I visited Pearcy Elementary by invitation of librarian Leah Godwin. I was greeted with this fantastic display complete with Merilee's red high tops:




I gave my first power point demostrations (pulled together the night before) to both the fifth grade classes and the sixth. I talked about my influences and inspirations for writing my book which included my daughters love of dragons and the mysterious Marfa lights:




Then I signed books and chatted with the kids:








Leah bought copies of the book for the entire faculty (hooray!) and after school I stayed after to sign their books and chat with them.

And then to top it off, the next day these beautiful flowers arrived from Leah thanking me for my visit.





Thank you Leah for a winderful visit!

Last Thursday I went to Dallas to the Texas Librarian Association's annual conference. It was a dream come true for a new author. Before signing my book in the HarperCollins Children's booth, I wandered around the conference and picked up free books and catalogs from other publishers. Soon, I had an entire bag full.

Then I went back to the HarperCollins booth and browsed around. I met Dina, Lillie, and Emily, who are all in the Library and Marketing group at HarperCollins. They were all so helpful during the convention and got us all where we needed to be.



About this time, my editor, Virginia Duncan appeared with Lynne Rae Perkins (Newbery award winner for Criss Cross) and Kevin Henkes (Caldecott winner). They had just come back from a panel. Wow! I was able to meet both authors and they were so kind and nice and even asked about what I had written. I was able to point to my book which was on the shelf with other Harper Books. And it was a thrill to see Virginia again too! Although we talk, an email, I hadn't seen in in about a year and a half. I learned they already have an idea for the cover for my second book, which is Elizabethan set.

Next I met Suzanne Harper, author of The Secret Life of Sparrow Delaney. We decided we were twins separated at birth. Besides sharing the same name, our books came out at about the same time, we have the same editor, and we both graduated from UT with Journalsim degress with a minor in English. Suzanne now lives in New York city and has a new novel, The Juliet Club, coming out soon.

Here we are signing books together in the HarperCollins booth:




And a close up of me:




We had a huge line of librarians (Harper generously gave away our books) and it went by in a blur. And I have to say, librarians are the nicest people! One librarian came specifically to say hello - her mother, Ellen Cross, is from Marfa, and is a friend of my mother-in-law Mary. Ellen came to my booksigning in Marfa and also to the dinner my mother-in-law gave me at her beautiful adobe home. Nan Sprester, from Parkwood Intermediate, came by to give me a hug, and another Keller librarian told me VOE is officially on Keller ISD's Trailblazer reading list for next year! Hooray!

After the signing, Suzanne and I found a quiet spot to chat about being new children's authors. We had lots to talk about.

Then us Harperites all caught buses back to the hotel and a little while later met in the lobby to take taxis over to another hotel for a joint publisher's cocktail party. The authors got to wear big red buttons that said "Author." Wow. Another dream moment. At the party, I met up with my friend April Lurie, author of Brother's Boyfriends and Other Criminal Minds.

Then we were rounded up - it was time to go back to our hotel for dinner! We managed to squeeze into a limo - some of us practically sitting on top of each other and we had a raucus and laughter filled ride back to the hotel. Dinner was fantastic - I sat next to my editor and Lynne Rae Perkins. Kenneth Oppel and Robert Lipsyte were there, as was Kevin Henkes, Suzanne, Dina, and Emily, and Ruth Katcher, another HarperCollins editor. I had the prime rib, which was delicious, and later we all shared desserts. We didn't get up from the table for four hours! Eventually I made it up to my hotel room, crawled in bed, and was able to sleep in the next morning. Pure heaven!

Yesterday, I went to Eubanks Intermediate to meet with their book club, by invitation of librarian Lucy Drenka. They were a great group and had wonderful questions for me. One nice boy asked if he could be in a sequel. We'll see Paxton.




Eubanks Intermediate Book Club

And lastly, a photo of the rapid red bird who has been terrorizing our house for the last few weeks. He pecks on all the windows deparately trying to get in. My study window seems to be his favorite. He did this last spring also. If anyone has any idea of what he is doing, let me know.



The rapid red bird

The German Version of VOE was waiting for me when I got back from Chicago!




And they even had an author photo of me on the back flap!




Hooray!

Hey Everyone,

I have a book trailer for "The Very Ordered Existence of Merilee Marvelous" up on YouTube! Thanks to Danielle at DKDesigns!

Spring flowers at the Crowley house

This afternoon I spoke at Hillwood Middle School in Keller Texas by invitation of librarian Ginny Reeves. I spoke to two 7th grade language arts clases who were really great. I started out talking about my early writings and showed them "The Return" a book I wrote 30 years ago on a cheap typewriter when I was about their age. Dreams do come true. Then I talked about writing VOE and then the journey to get it published. Their teachers wanted me to emphasize how important the revision process is, so I talked about the years of revisions I did on VOE and how it was well worth it in the end. I told them about the German edition of VOE and how I was hoping my five author copies would be waiting for me when I got home. Then I answered some great questions, including the importance of the Tootsie Pop in the book. I explained how Merilee hands them out so everyone will leave her alone but the townspeople end up sucking on the pop and telling her their deepest darkest secrets. Later, when they mobbed my bowl of Tootsie Pops, one kid wrly said, "I hope this doesn't make me tell you all my deepest darkest secrets!"



Me, librarian Ginny Reeves, and her assistant Laurie Leal


When I got home there was no package of books, but other good news. VOE is a KLIATT Editor's Choice for Best of the Year's Hardcover YA Fiction. Also I recently found out VOE has been selected for "The Year's Best Children's Books by Bank Street College. Yippeee!
And also waiting for me were my new sculptures which I'm quickly going to have to paint as I leave for my Chicago miniature show Friday morning. I'll get to work tomorrow after the kids go off to school and then I have another school visit.





One Inch Scale Bronze Sculptures replicas of Italian majolica
Originals made of sculpey

After last week's snow it got up to over seventy and one of my teenage daughters even laid out in the sun in the back yard. But on Thursday snow hit again and we got nearly three inches!




My youngest, a boy, got his snow gear on and immediatley went in the back to work on his first snow man. Sadly I had no carrots so he improvised with cheese for the first snowman. A later snow man sported asparagus arms.



Cheese Man



Making a Snow Angel

A book club that night was going to be discussing my book and I was the honoree. I worried that it would be called off but the hostess, Tracey, assured me she had plenty willing to brave the weather. Just before I left, an old friend of my husband's from Stanford in town from Mexico, Oscar Sanchez, dropped by with a present from his wife for me. It was a gorgeous, handmade three strand necklance of different colored fresh water pearls. I wore it to the book club meeting. And indeed there was a wonderful turnout. We all walked carefully, like penguins up to the house, doing our best not to slip in the slush. Tracey had delicious hot dips, crackers and cheeses for us to nibble on.



Fan Katie and her mother and Me


We had a great time discussing the book including who would play the parts if there was ever a movie. I've always thought Cloris Leechman could play Grandma Birdy and perhaps Francis McDormand for the mother or Drew Barrymore. Someone suggested Abigal Breslin for Merilee. We got on the subject of the movie Giant which was filmed in Marfa (Jumbo in the book) and someone said she met Elizabeth Taylor once and escorted her through customs. She said she indeed had beautiful violet eyes and oozed charisma. We had a lively discussion of Texas sayings and how things are pronounced and said differently in other states. There was only three or four native Texans in the group. I told them about how an early reader in another state wanted me to change the ending "because who would believe it snows in Texas?" We got a good laugh from that considering our day. After our discussion, I signed everyone's book. All in all, a wonderful event for the brave lovers of books who ventured out.



Hidden Lakes Book Club of Keller, Texas

We were expecting snow yesterday, not a regular occurance in Texas. And in anticipation, I actually cooked a pot roast in a crock pot and baked cookies! Finally, in the early evening the snow began to fall, sending large snowflakes down. I held Amber, our cat up to the window and her head darted around, confused by the sheet of angled white that flew past the window. The kids ran out side in the dark and scooped up the snow, my younger son threw some of it at his older sister, who had no shoes on. I could hear shrieks and woops coming from my next door neighbors yard. I quickly beckoned my kids in. It was cold. Soon we'll see real live everyday snow when we go to Park City Utah for spring break.

Last Friday I spoke in front of fifty librarians at a district meeting in nearby Arlington. And already, yesterday morning I'd been invited to speak at Pearcy Elementary April 23rd. I have two other visits lined up in Keller at the beginning of April - Hillwood Middle School and Parkwood Hill Intermediate. This Thursday night, Hidden Lakes Book Club is discussing my book and I've been invited to come join them. I'm really looking forward to it. And April 17 I'll be at TLA (Texas Library Association) at their annual conference signing my book at the HarperCollins booth (Thursday April 17th at 2 p.m.)

I've been anticipating receiving my German version of VOE. By checking the Random House website I see that it officially was available Feb. 28th. Yesterday I received an absolutely gorgeous catalog from Susanne Stark, my German editor. There was a two page spread of my book along with The Book Thief and Spiderwick Chronicles. Distinguished company indeed.




Look Books has a delightful interview of me discussing VOE. Check it out at: lookbooks.wordpress.com

Well, I'm off to the gourmet market for a cheat. I have a Bon Appetit luncheon to go to this morning and I didn't have a chance to make anything. I was too busy being burrowing and cooking yesterday for the snow. The luncheon theme today is St. Patrick's. I do have a green dish . . .

Last Wednesday afternoon I spoke at the Central High School Book Club in Keller, Texas.In the parking lot, one of my bags that I was carrying ripped open and all things splayed out all over the parking lot - books, tootsie pops, props, everything. I started to sweat. I was also carrying a large poster, and two other bags of books. But a teacher came along and helped me gather everything up and carry everything inside. As soon as I walked in the doors of the school, I saw they had posters up about the event all over the school.




Before the event, I met with Janet Adams, Librarian of Central High School and the officers of the book club, Tyler, Rachelle and Arely who were so nice and honored I had come. I was their first real live author! I visited some more with other kids, including Amanda and her sister Jessica who are aspiring authors. I was also glad to meet and chat with Abigail. There was a yummy assorted of refreshments and we chatted awhile as more kids gathered the last bell rang. Judi Reinert, librarian of Rockenbaugh Elementary, where my son attends, was there as was, Susan Stitt, Director of Library and Media Services for Keller ISD. I was glad to see there were a couple of parents in attendance too.



Central High School Book Club members and Me

Since a lot of the book club memebers are aspiring authors I talked about the writing process and the publishing process. I showed them a poster I made five years ago and dug out recently a map of Merilee's world - her family, her town, her issues, major themes and imagery, the landscape, her habits. I made this way back when I had written the first few pages and then didn't know what to do next. I also showed them an actual "query" letter, the letter I sent to publishers seeking interest for my manuscript. Also, a real rejection letter, that happened to be a personal rejection letter. I told them if you get a personal rejection letter you are getting close.

My favorite part of a book visit is the question and answer section. They asked insightful questions about the whole process and I hope I imparted some wisdom they can use. We got on the topic of why I had to have real train names in the book, but I had made up store names and buildings. Someone pointed out that in a novel you just couldn't make up brands of cars - this would put the reader off. Someone asked what authors have influenced me and I was able to name a few, but my mind went blank on many other favorites I've had. Those types of questions always stump me, I don't why. Ask me one on one, and I can rattle off a hundred. Someone asked what I do when I have writer's block and I exclaimed, "Chocolate!" It's true, I gained almost ten pounds writing book 2. Too many trips to the chocolate stash to foritfy myself.



Judi Reinert, Me, and Janet Adams

After I got back from my fun-filled visit to Austin, I recouperated for a day and then was honored with a Book party thrown by my sister Karen Duban at her home in Highland Village. She had wonderful decorations incorperating stars and colors from the cover of VOE.





She served a delightful assortment of handmade goodies including cookies, lemon bars, truffles, chocolate candy, carrot cake, lemon/blueberry cake, sugar cookies, pimento cheese sandwiches, PB & J sandwiches (in honor of Merilee's favorite), several variations of brownies, and as she put it, "a fudgie somethin-arother." To top it all off, we had a really tasty pomengranite punch.


Karen invited her friends, neighbors, tennis buddies, and former collegues. There were two extra guests, her cats Bear and Little Girl who lounged languidly, and in Little Girl's case, oh-so innocently.



Little Girl contemplating her attack




I signed twenty seven books and had a wonderful time visitng with my sister's friends. We actually ran out of all the books we had which is always a great feeling. Later when I was returning from the dining room with a plateful of food, I came across Little Girl scarfing down a PB & J sandwich as fast as she could before she was caught. No one was around so I took it from her and discreetly threw it away. My sister tells me that another party guest has since told her she saw Little Girl eating carrot cake also. Therefore, Little Girl will not be invited to any more parties in the future. I can definitely say it was a wonderful party, and a good time was had by ALL.



Hostess Karen Duban and me