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My last author event of 2011 is this Tuesday night at the George and Cynthia Woods Mitchell Library in The Woodlands, Texas. So if you know anyone who lives in that part of the world, please let ‘em know!

I’ll be giving a presentation called — that is, I’ll be telling a bunch of stories that I collectively call — “My Books Go Into Libraries (But They Come From There, Too).” If you’re the kind of person who thinks that sufficiently funding libraries should be a bipartisan no-brainer, I think you’ll like it. (And if you’re not, I’d welcome the opportunity to try to change your mind.)

I’ll also read a profile from Can I See Your I.D.?, answer questions, sign books, and — with the most minimal of arm-twisting — read Shark Vs. Train. You don’t even have to go “GRRRRR!” and “CHUGRRR-CHUG!” along with the kids, but you’ll probably want to.

I spent this past Friday in San Antonio at the regional Library Resource Roundup. Highlights of my day included:

Meeting Adam Gidwitz, the Brooklyn-based author of A Tale Dark & Grimm. Adam not only gave the keynote address — he also gave me a lot to think about (starting with, “How can I make the audience laugh as much as he did?”) as I prepare for my own keynote at a similar event in Waco in November. During an informal Q&A (as opposed, I guess, to the rigidly formal Q&A sessions the librarians have come to expect from children’s authors), Adam discussed the eye-opening usefulness of a certain screenwriting guide. Well, that same guide — Save the Cat! — happens to be the very one I’ve been using to help me out in rewrites of my current manuscript, so I knew he was good people, even if he did set an unwelcomely high bar for keynotes.

Hearing Viki Ash of the San Antonio Public Library — and chair of the 2012 Newbery Award Selection Committee — explain the process for choosing the medal winner. Understanding better how it all works makes me all the more hopeful that I can be in the room in Dallas this coming January when the latest crop of ALA winners is announced.

Debuting my new presentation, “Can You See Their I.D.’s?”

When we’re teenagers, we’re all trying on new identities, we’re all on an adventure, and we’re all at least a little bit off. Author Chris Barton brings those three elements together in his YA nonfiction thriller Can I See Your I.D.? True Stories of False Identities. In this presentation, he’ll discuss how books — from the comic to the tragic — with characters in the throes of identity crises can better equip teen readers to deal with their own.

As part of the presentation, I provided a couple of reading lists. Why, here they are now:

A Pretty Thorough List of Books for Young Readers Written in Second Person
Barton, Chris – Can I See Your I.D.? True Stories of False Identities
Benoit, Charles – You
Jenkins, A. M. – Damage
Lynch, Chris – Freewill
Montgomery, R. A. – Choose Your Own Adventure 1: The Abominable Snowman

A Highly Selective List of Books for Young Readers With Identity As a Major Theme
Barton, Chris – Can I See Your I.D.? True Stories of False Identities
Bjorkman, Laura – My Invented Life
Cannon, A. E. – The Loser’s Guide to Life and Love
Cottrell Boyce, Frank – Cosmic
Fletcher, Ralph – Also Known As Rowan Pohi
Larbalestier, Justine – Liar
Perkins, Mitali – First Daughter: Extreme American Makeover
Sonnenblick, Jordan – Zen and the Art of Faking It
Tashjian, Janet – The Gospel According to Larry
Ziegler, Jennifer – How Not to Be Popular

Which titles would you add to either list?

Q: Did they announce the lineup today for the 2011 Texas Book Festival, to be held in Austin on October 22-23?

A: Yes

Q: Am I on it?

A: Yes

Q: Am I at least as excited about the other authors who will be appearing as I am about my own participation?

A: Well, let’s see — the lineup includes Jay Asher, Mac Barnett, Libba Bray, Doreen Cronin… And those are just some of the children’s and YA authors up through “C” in last-name alphabetical order, at which point I start to get the vapors. So, you tell me.

Q: How might one go about seeing the entire list?

A: By clicking here.

Q: What if someone wanted to see a Marc Burckhardt-designed Texas Book Festival poster with a flaming horse?

A: In that case, they would click here.

Q: Could I have been any more delighted by the writeup you received, including a description of Can I See Your I.D.? that says it “acutely captures the breathless suspense of the long-con,” praises “the fun of I.D.‘s unconventional storytelling,” and concludes that “After a while, you can’t imagine telling the tales of deception and white-knuckled suspense any other way”?

A: Nope.

At this particular moment, I’m on a bus leading me away from the Southampton Children’s Literature Conference, toward the flight that will take me back home to Texas. But I’m also, at this very moment, trying to figure out just how soon I might make it back up to Long Island for another experience like the one I just had.

Folks, I am fired up. I have had more new story ideas in the past few days than I’ve had in I don’t know how long. I’ve read aloud unpublished manuscripts of mine in front of rooms full of strangers (well, they used to be strangers) for the first time in, I think, eight years. Since Wednesday afternoon, I’ve had the enormous pleasure of working with and learning from a host of creative, enthusiastic, and quite brave writers and authors ranging from complete beginners to some of the most accomplished talents our industry has to offer.

And to think that I enjoyed all these benefits and opportunities at a conference where I was not a paying student but rather a member of the faculty — well, it really feels like I’ve just gotten away with something.

Did I mention the cross-pollination? The readings of hilarious and bold and not-at-all-for-children new plays? The on-stage conversations I witnessed with director Chris Weitz (About a Boy, A Better Life) and with Jules Feiffer, a one-man graduate course in creative cross-pollination? The fact that I twice sang — OK, warbled — in public, one of those times in the presence of a somewhat well-known woman who knows a thing or two about The Sound of Music?

I’m gushing. A bit. I’m gushing a bit. That wasn’t what I set out to do here. I set out to thank Emma Walton Hamilton for inviting me to join the Southampton faculty, and to thank the other children’s lit faculty members (Andrea Davis Pinkney, Tor Seidler, Patricia McCormick, Peter H. Reynolds) and guests (Leonard Marcus, Susan Raab, Kate and Jim McMullan, Connie Rockman and Kate Feiffer), and the playwriting and screenwriting and digital media instructors, and my picture book students and everyone else’s for giving so much of themselves.

I was not entirely sure I had it in me to teach a three-day class. Honestly, the prospect scared me a bit, but it was that little surge of fear that clued me in to the fact that I really had to do this. And even before I arrived in New York, the mere act of preparing for my class had taught me so much I didn’t know (or had forgotten that I knew) about writing picture books that those hours I’d invested were already more than made up for, many times over.

(And here I must thank the many authors whose books and, in most cases, conversations with me about their books helped me zero in on what I wanted my students to know. The work and insights from these immensely creative folks helped fuel many conversations about — and, I hope, much inspiration for — writing both playful fiction and seriously researched nonfiction picture books. The complete reading list for my class is below.)

What does all this add up to? I can’t speak for anyone else, but personally, I’ve never been more excited about getting back to writing, and about carving out time in my life to make that writing a priority. And it wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t been willing to tolerate at least a little fear of what I was getting myself into when I told Emma, “Yes.”

For a long while, I’ve been reluctant to look for inspiration in the same place twice, lest a once-thrilling experience become too comfortable and easy to take for granted and result in diminishing returns. With the Southampton Children’s Literature Conference, I do believe I’m willing to risk making an exception.

Reading list for “You Don’t Have to Choose: Balancing

Yes, apparently.

Last Saturday, Austin’s favorite indie bookseller BookPeople hosted my launch celebration for Can I See Your I.D.? True Stories of False Identities. Here’s a recap of what we did:

The party was scheduled to start at 7 p.m., which in my experience means that a sufficient crowd had gathered by 7:10 for us to get rolling. Until then, there was much mingling, donning of the 30 pairs of Groucho Marx glasses I’d bought, and applying of “My Name Is” tags filled out with “Inigo Montoya,” “Cleopatra,” “Marc Zuckerberg,” etc.

To fill the time before the presentation started, audience members were encouraged to write down and submit their own tales of first-person fakery (“When I was about __ years old, I pretended to be/masqueraded as/tried to convince someone that I was ______________________________”) in return for getting into the running for one of three giveaway copies of the book.

As folks arrived, I pointed out the “conceptual beverages” — one dispenser containing a clearish liquid and labeled “Looks like watery lemonade to us” and another containing a bright blue liquid and labeled “Probably something blue-tasting.” The latter was just water with blue food coloring, while the former contained purported blueberry flavoring that some said tasted more like bubblegum or a Yankee Candle but which regardless got across the concept (I hope) of things not being what they seem.

Then BookPeople’s children’s-events coordinator extraordinaire Mandy Brooks –

– welcomed the crowd and introduced yours truly. “Chris Barton” approached the podium –

– and thanked the audience for their support of his previous two books. He then mentioned how glad he was that, unlike his previous launch parties, the attendees for this one included his best friend from high school, Dallas journalist “Jason Sickles,” seen emerging here:

At this point –

– “Jason” suggested to “Chris” that, since Can I See Your I.D.? is about false identities, perhaps it would be fun and fitting for them to switch roles for the rest of the night.

Thusly switched, “Chris,” or the author, or me, or whoever I am read excerpts fro

What’s more fun than making a list of these? Attending one of them.

I was in author heaven last week, first with a couple of terrifically productive days in Natchez, Mississippi, and Vidalia, Louisiana, researching my upcoming picture book biography The Amazing Age of John Roy Lynch, and then rounding out the week at the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg for the 44th Annual Fay B. Kaigler Children’s Book Festival.

Wonderful hosts. Terrific speakers, including Derek Anderson, T.A. Barron, Phil Bildner, David Diaz, Gary Schmidt, and Roger Sutton. (And those are just the ones I caught in their entirety: I missed Joyce Carol Thomas entirely and quite reluctantly had to leave for the airport partway through a sidesplitting story from Carmen Agra Deedy.) Marvelous food (and plenty of it). And a tour of the amazing de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection.

One of the other Hattiesburg highlights was seeing, for the first time, hardcover copies of Can I See Your I.D.? True Stories of False Identities, which officially goes on sale this Thursday. My own box of author copies arrived in Austin while I was gone, along with the nifty bookmarks I’ll be giving away this week at the Texas Library Association conference.

Here’s a peek, along with a hope that if I didn’t get to see you last week in Mississippi, I’ll get to see you this week in Texas!

If you’re coming to the Texas Book Festival on Sunday but are already booked (har har) during my reading/signing between 11 a.m. and noon, I’ll also be signing books and giving away Shark Vs. Train posters at the Kirkus Reviews booth at 4 p.m.

A week from Thursday, on August 19, I’ll participate in the Writers’ League of Texas’ monthly panel on marketing topics. We’ll be discussing the theme, “Building Your PR Team,” so in preparation I figure it’s time I start asking myself:

“Uh, Chris — do you even have a PR team?”

Sure I do. For years, I’ve employed the firm of Mee, Mishelf, and Aye to help me get the word out about me and my books. I figure that’s the same team that most writers use, and so I expect that I’ll spend some time discussing which tools and approaches have worked out the best for us.

Thinking out loud here, those tools and approaches have included:

Networking through groups such as the Writers’ League of Texas (obviously) and the Society for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators

Posts and comments on this here blog and others

My website

My Bartography Express email newsletter, which I produce via Constant Contact

In-person appearances at conferences, in both official and unofficial capacities

Collaboration with my publishers’ marketing and publicity staffs

Business cards, post cards, and bookmarks

Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Old-fashioned hard-copy correspondence with folks I think would be interested in knowing about me and my books

My books themselves, which it wouldn’t do me any good to publicize if I hadn’t put sufficient time and care into creating in the first place

I’ll be giving all of these a good ponder over the next week and a half. Which have had the biggest impact — and how do you even measure that? Which have not been a good use of time, effort, or money? Which might not be as effective as they seem, and which may have done more for me than I’ve realized?

If you, dear Bartography reader, have any questions or insights into these PR tools and approaches or others I’ve failed to mention, I’d love to hear them. I’d be most grateful, in fact. And I bet attendees of this month’s panel will be especially glad that I got some help from beyond the good people at Mee, Mishelf, and Aye.

First off, Austin-area folks, I’ll be reading and signing Shark Vs. Train this Saturday, June 26, at the Arboretum Barnes & Noble.

For details on the event, info on my other upcoming appearances, and other news about me and my books, check out the latest edition of Bartography Express (available online through mid-July).

Some other big news this weekend: Shark Vs. Train will appear on the New York Times’ list of best-selling picture books for the second week in a row!

What else is new? Real quickly-like:

Last Saturday, I got to share the bill with a tank containing live sharks at a party hosted by the Starlight Foundation at this downtown Austin bar.

I received PDFs this week for the galleys of Can I See Your I.D.?, the cover of which is beyond captivating — I can’t wait to share it here.

I’m happily submerged in the research for a new picture book biography. “Happily,” as in “I got my kicks during my lunch hour this Tuesday by rooting around in the microfilm section of a university library.”

My friend Audrey Vernick has a brand-new book out this week, but you’ll probably like it only if you have a thing for really funny books by really funny people.

I’ve cooked up a new presentation combining elements from both Shark Vs. Train and The Day-Glo Brothers: The True Story of Bob and Joe Switzer’s Bright Ideas and Brand-New Colors.

If you want to see it, and you’re in Austin this week, you’re in luck. I’ll be debuting the Shark and Train and Bob and Joe Show this Thursday afternoon at a “Meet the Author” event put on by the Writers’ League of Texas and the Austin Public Library.

The details:

Thursday, June 10th @ 2PM
Ruiz Branch
Austin Public Library
1600 Grove Blvd., 78741
FREE and open to the public!

I didn’t realize just how much fun I’d had at the Shark Vs. Train party at BookPeople until I saw the photos my friend Courtney took. (Thanks, Court!) I’ve put a couple of them on permanent display on my Author Visits page, but here’s one more:

And I’ve been in great company lately — yesterday, most recently, when the amazing staff at Austin’s BookPeople hosted a launch party for Shark Vs. Train for a few dozen folks who eagerly chanted “GRRRRR!” and “CHUGRRR-CHUG!” whenever I asked them to. Now those are my kinds of people, and I really, really appreciate the time taken by everybody involved to make it such a great day.

The week before, I got to attend the Young Authors’ Celebration at Beth Yeshurun Day School in Houston and the Texas Library Association conference in San Antonio, both of which allowed me to rub elbows with some terrific authors, librarians, and other lovers of children’s literature. Again, I’m full of thanks for all who made those occasions so terrific. I can’t think of anyone I’d rather hang out with.

Unless, perhaps, it’s the characters in my current work-in-progress. And as much fun as I’ve had these past couple of weeks in the real, it’s time for me to pay more a little more attention to keeping those guys company.

At the end of yesterday’s did-we-really-cram-all-that-awesomeness-into-a-single-day Austin SCBWI conference, several of us local folks assembled onstage to offer what were billed as “9 Habits of Highly Successful Authors and Illustrators” (which, in keeping with the day’s unofficial theme, we managed to cram into less than 30 minutes).

Here’s what I had to say on the subject:

I’m not sure if you would call this a habit, or a strategy, or a pathology, but being hardheaded was absolutely essential to my getting published.

When it comes to your creative work, I think you have to have the ability –- the SITUATIONAL ability -– to believe that you’re right and everyone else is wrong — for example, when your picture-book biography of the guys who invented Day-Glo gets rejected by 23 editors but you keep submitting it anyway.

But for that to be an ABILITY and not merely a chronic case of delusional thinking, you have to do more than just believe strongly in your own work.

You also have to know the market. You have to know your audience. You have to know your technique. And you have to take seriously the feedback you receive.

Then, based on knowing all those things, you simply reach a different conclusion about your prospects than all those people who keep telling you “no.”

And notice how I called it a SITUATIONAL ability. If “I’m right, they’re all wrong” is your M.O. -– if it’s your approach to EVERYTHING you create –- then you’re just acting like a jerk.

That tends to work against you.

As folks recover from the conference, I’m sure there will be lots of thorough posts about the goings-on there. I may add links to more as I spot them, but here are the bloggers whose accounts I’ve seen so far:

Don Tate
Shelli Cornelison

We’re more than two days into the holiday shopping season, so you’re pretty much done, right?

No?

In that case, why don’t you wait a few days before wrapping things up for the year?

This coming Saturday, Dec. 5, I’ll be signing copies of The Day-Glo Brothers at Austin’s Arboretum Barnes & Noble. I’ll be there between 12 noon and 2 p.m as part of the Brentwood Christian School Holiday Book Fair, and if you drop by to say hi during that time, you can also get yourself in the running for a free advance copy of Shark Vs. Train.

“Almost four years.” It says here, that’s how long it took author Phillip Hoose to convince civil rights pioneer Claudette Colvin to participate in the book he wanted to write about her arrest for refusing to give up her seat on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama, in March 1955 — nine months before Rosa Parks was arrested for the same.

That not only shows some serious patience and persistence, but it also suggests quite a bit of diplomacy on Hoose’s part — otherwise, it seems Colvin would have been plenty sick of him after all that time. It all paid off pretty well, I’d say.

If you’re a book lover within driving distance of Wooster, Ohio, I hope you’ll consider spending next Saturday at the Buckeye Book Fair. I’ll be there signing copies of The Day-Glo Brothers, and I’ll be in good company. The day’s lineup of children’s/YA authors and illustrators includes:

Anne Kennedy
Anne Ursu
Betsy Snyder
Bobbie Hinman
Carmella Van Vleet
Dandi Daley Mackall
David Catrow
Ellen Schreiber
Jane Morris Udovic and David Udovic
Jeannine Garsee
Lisa Klein
Lynda Durrant
Marcia Christensen
Marlane Kennedy
Michael J. Rosen
Michael Salinger
Michelle Houts
Pat McCarthy
Sara Holbrook
Tammie Lyon
Tiffany Laufer
Tim Bowers
Tony Abbott
Tracie Vaughn Zimmer
Will Hillenbrand

Join us, won’t you?

When I showed up for my first school visit this past Wednesday, I don’t think I’d even shut my car door before I heard that holler of recognition. There was a class and their teacher sitting outside reading The Day-Glo Brothers, and my daylight-fluorescent green tie gave me away as the author. What a welcome! And what an omen for the great day that lay ahead.

I delivered a brand-new presentation — Me? Write Science? — to three groups of seventh-graders who had just begun their own writing projects for an upcoming science fair, and it was easily the highlight of my week. (The highlight of the highlight? Hearing my tie described as “beast.”) But there’s been other good stuff lately, too:

The 2009 Teddy Award nominees have been announced by the Writers League of Texas. Congratulations to Dotti, Jenny, Kathi, and Xavier!

Since The Day-Glo Brothers came out in July, author-appearance opportunities have loomed before me like a really, really good buffet, and I’ve been sampling a little bit of everything: one bookstore event, one presentation to other authors, one public library visit, one school visit (this coming Wednesday), and one homeschool workshop (next week).

Next month, I’ll make it to the dessert cart, with my first out-of-state trip since publication. On Saturday, November 7, I’ll be signing books at the Buckeye Book Fair in Wooster, Ohio — just down the road from Cleveland, where Bob and Joe Switzer invented their daylight-fluorescent colors.

If you’re in the neighborhood, please stop by to say hello — and to check out the other authors on the bill.

I know you!
You were that author I saw this morning!
And my big smile –
Made endless by the recent loss of my upper front teeth –
Grows bigger still.
Even as, distracted, I collide with the “Wet Floor” sign.
And even after.

But who says there’s anything wrong with a bit much?

Registration opened this week for Destination Publication!, the January 30, 2010, conference of the Austin chapter of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.

Now, Austin SCBWI tends to do conferences well. But this one’s so big you’ve got to take a step or two backwards in order to see the whole thing. It will have:

A Newbery Honor Author (Kirby Larson)

A Caldecott Honor Illustrator (Marla Frazee)

Three Agents (Andrea Cascardi, Mark McVeigh, Nathan Bransford)

Three Editors (Cheryl Klein, Lisa Graff, Stacy Cantor)

Eight Featured Authors (Liz Garton Scanlon, Shana Burg, P. J. Hoover, Jessica Lee Anderson, Jacqueline Kelly, Jennifer Ziegler, Philip Yates, and me)

One Special Guest Author (Sara Lewis Holmes)

One Featured Illustrator (Patrice Barton; no, we’re not)

Traditional Critiques

Advanced Critiques

Portfolio Reviews

Two Parties with the Faculty

Like I said — registration for the conference opened this week. I wouldn’t count on it staying open for long.

After having such a great time at my book launch party in July, I’ve really been looking forward to my next chance to be center stage. Turns out, I’ll have two chances in one week in September.

First, I’ll be the guest speaker at the monthly meeting of the Austin chapter of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). Six days later, I’ll get to make a presentation at the public library in my hometown.

Semi-official descriptions and details are below — I’d love to see you at either event, and I hope you’ll consider spreading the word about them.

What: Who Did It First? Who Did It Best? Who Did It Differently?
When: Saturday, September 12, 2009, 11:00 a.m. - 12 noon (Austin SCBWI monthly meeting)
Where: BookPeople, 603 North Lamar, Austin, TX

Whatever you’re passionate about, there’s somebody in that field whose life story would be best told by you — and as a picture book biography, no less. Chris will help you figure out who in the world that person is and what on earth you should do about it.

Chris is the author of the new picture book biography The Day-Glo Brothers: The True Story of Bob and Joe Switzer’s Bright Ideas and Brand-New Colors (Charlesbridge Publishing; illustrated by Tony Persiani), which has received starred reviews from Kirkus, Publishers Weekly and School Library Journal. His other upcoming books for children and young adults include Shark Vs. Train (June 2010; Little, Brown and Company; illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld) and Just Who Do You Think You Are? (2011; Dial Books for Young Readers). You can visit him at http://www.chrisbarton.info.

What: Local boy makes good with The Day-Glo Brothers
When: Friday, September 18, 2009, 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Where: Sulphur Springs Public Library, 611 North Davis, Sulphur Springs, TX

If you’ll be in Sulphur Springs the day before the World Championship Hopkins County Stew Cook-Off, join author Chris Barton for a “colorful” presentation at his hometown public library.

With the assistance of the younger members of the audience, he’ll be discussing the story, the science, and the patience behind his first book for young readers, The Day-Glo Brothers: The True Story of Bob and Joe Switzer’s Bright Ideas and Brand-New Colors.

It’s an “enlightening story” (says WIRED magazine) … “of quintessentially American ingenuity” (Publishers Weekly) … that “makes a bright idea stand out even more” (The Washington Post).

If you’d like to learn more about the book, please visit http://www.chrisbarton.info/books/dayglo.html.

And if you’ll be in town on the 18th, dress in your Day-Glo best and come join Chris!

One young attendee checks out The Day-Glo Brothers under black light. Photo courtesy of Donna Bowman Bratton.

Last Saturday’s BookPeople party celebrating The Day-Glo Brothers was one of the best days of my life. Donna Bowman Bratton and Christy Stallop have already documented the event nicely with kind words and lots of photos, but I’d just like to say a couple more things about it:

1) I had way more fun than I ever would have thought possible — and my expectations were running pretty high to begin with.

2) Thank you! To everyone who showed up, took pictures, bought books (the store sold out!), asked me to sign them, ate cookies, made daylight-fluorescent crafts, listened to what I had to say, spread the word, hosted me, introduced me, or otherwise helped out — you made my day. You made my year.

I hadn't had this many people paying attention to me since my wedding day. Photo courtesy of Christy Stallop.

I was on vacation all the following week, and I had no reason to suspect that the story of this book would get even better while I was out. I was essentially offline for the entire time, so I figured that even if things did get better, I wouldn’t know about it until I was back in front of my computer.

Then on Wednesday I got a call from my editor at Charlesbridge: The Day-Glo Brothers had received its third starred review, this one from School Library Journal (”The story is written in clear language and includes whimsical cartoons. … This unique book does an excellent job of describing an innovative process.”), following stars from Kirkus and Publishers Weekly.

Wow.

Some might possibly wonder — OK, at least one person has already stated as much — whether this book’s warm reception will give me a swollen head. I’m not too worried, though, as the universe has shown that it has ways of keeping me in check.

Immediately after the party at BookPeople, I headed up the street to have a late lunch with a fun assortment of relatives, children’s literature peers, and college friends. As it has been for every day these past few weeks, the temperature in Austin was north of 100 degrees, or heading that way. Still, the outdoor seating area was shaded, and with fans and misters blowing on us, sitting outside was quite bearable — even for me in the bright green necktie you can see in the photo at the top.

I almost never wear a tie these days, but for some reason the old reflex kicked in, and when my lunch arrived, I flipped my brand-new, first-time-being-worn tie over my shoulder. I then grabbed the bottle of ketchup, gave it a shake and a twist of the cap and –

FOOMP!

Ketchup everywhere. Everywhere on my equally brand-new white shirt, at least, and some on my aunt, too. Not on the tie, though — the daylight-fluorescent tie came through without a spot.

Now, if you have a copy of The Day-Glo Brothers handy, turn to the spread in which Bob Switzer is in bed recuperating from his head injury. See those objects that he’s hallucinating? They aren’t marked with a brand, but they’re clearly identifiable to anyone who’s ever sat at an American restaurant table.

Care to guess which brand of ketchup I wore home from my big day?

The table stocked with daylight-fluorescent craft materials was a hit. Photo courtesy of Carmen Ramirez McFarlin.

These went fast. Glad I wasn't counting on leftovers. Photo courtesy of Carmen Ramirez McFarlin.

My much-needed vacation begins immediately after the July 11 party at BookPeople celebrating The Day-Glo Brothers, but the giveaway of five copies of the book will continue at Cynsations all month long.

Before you go there, though, here’s another reminder of how great BookPeople is: They’re hosting two local-children’s-author events tomorrow (or you could look at it as one big event with an extra-generous intermission).

For more details, check out this post from the BookKids blog, Chris Barton vs. K.A. Holt: Two Fab Authors, One Fab Saturday, and THIS Amazing Interview!

If you’ll be in Austin in mid-July, or think you might like to be (and, really, who wouldn’t?), I hope you’ll mark your calendar for 1 p.m. on Saturday, July 11. That’s when I’ll be celebrating the publication of The Day-Glo Brothers with a party at BookPeople.

You can RSVP at Facebook, or return here for details as they’re available…

If you’re looking for your literary kicks in Austin this Saturday, you might want to get yourself down to BookPeople at 1 p.m. for “Delacorte Dames & Dude: Everything you wanted to know about young adult fiction but were too afraid to ask.”

Here’s the skinny:

The panel discussion features the Delacorte Dames and Dudes, five authors of young adult (YA) novels. They are all published by Delacorte Press, Random House and they all live right here in Austin! Delacorte Dames are April Lurie, author of The Latent Powers of Dylan Fontaine (2008), Jennifer Ziegler, How Not to Be Popular (2008), Margo Rabb, Cures for Heartbreak (2007), and Shana Burg, A Thousand Never Evers (2008). The lone Delacorte Dude is Varian Johnson, whose novel Saving Maddie is forthcoming in 2010. The panel will be moderated by Austin’s own, Sarah Bird. Join us for what is sure to be an enlightening and lively discussion.