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I posted recently about the CLN Books and Breakfast event, and I thought I'd share a couple of photos from the event today.

Here I am as the safari guide (to promote my book Stampede). I'm trying to push myself beyond my comfort zone when it comes to marketing. This was way beyond my CZ...but fairly painless after all.





And here are the little goody bags (assembled by Maddie--thanks, sweetie!) for the explorers at my table:




You can see a few more pix here. I wish you all could have heard the fantastic ways all the authors and illustrators shared their books in just a few minutes each, like Marsha Wilson Chall, whose table did a fast Reader's Theater version of her forthcoming One Pup's Up. It was so wonderful to feel the excitement in the whole group, and also fabulous to see crowds of people lining up to buy books by local writers/artists. There's nothing like a roomful of book people:>) Thanks, Children's Literature Network!

Y'all know I've been going absolutely crazy with deadlines and working nights and weekends (including 5 hours last night on a leveled reader revision). That is so not my style. But that's what I get for overextending myself and saying yes to one too many assignments.

Anyhow, one good thing about how busy I've been is that I've been conveniently ignoring my two-minute speech for an event this weekend. I'll be one of many, many Minnesota authors and illustrators who each have two minutes to say hi and introduce themselves to a room of about 200 area media specialists, librarians, teachers, and children's literature fans. I've made the swag bags for my table, come up with my "things you don't know about me" list for the table, answered all the emails that have come my way regarding the event...but I haven't thought much about what I'll actually say--other than to panic occasionally and then forcefully put it out of my mind. I have no idea how to make myself stand out in a group that big (and full of wonderful writers!).

I guess the plus side is that since poems are short, I could share a poem or two from Stampede. But I have no idea what else to say/do. Two minutes is either too short or too long for the few things I've come up with. And you can't use physical props, which I love to do. Ack!

I'll update you next week on what I did and how it went over...Meanwhile, if you have any ideas, I'm open. Very, very open!

Saturday morning, I attended the CLN Books & Breakfast. What a cool event! Below are a few pix...I was seated up close but way off to the side, so I'm afraid there are a lot of profile shots. Sorry!

And Lisa Bullard, author of You Can Write a Story, graciously used a bit of her three-minute time slot to introduce me and my forthcoming book, Stampede! She even read a poem (very expressively) from it. Thank you, Lisa! I really wanted to get a picture of her holding up my book, but I thought that would be just too conceited to be taking pictures of!

I can't link authors' name and book titles in the captions, but what a treat it was to hear from about 25 Minnesota writers and illustrators who are busy making great books from kids. And Vicki and Steve Palmquist (founders of CLN) plus three others share their five favorite books from 2008. And there were door prizes, to boot. A lovely morning.

CLN Books & Breakfast 2009 Here in Minneapolis, the Children's Literature Network hosts the CLN Books & Breakfast event, where 200+ school librarians and teachers turn out to hear scads of local authors and illustrators talk about their latest and forthcoming projects. That line of folks is all picking books to buy (and it snakes around like a Disney World line!)

Everyone chats before the official event begins.

We move into the breakfast area. Each table has an author or illustrator host.

Vicki Palmquist opens the morning.

John Coy chats about Top of the Order. John is building a sports empire in kids' books, and even I like them (and I'm not a typical sports book fan)!

Susan Marie Swanson chats. Susan Marie's book The House in the Night just won the Caldecott Medal, so there was a lotta love going around the room!

Marion Dane Bauer shows one of her million books! She is so prolific! I think this is the cover for her forthcoming The Christmas Baby.

Lynne Jonell talks about her newest book. Emmy and the Home for Troubled Girls is the sequel to Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat. It's on my to-read list!

Catherine Urdahl celebrates her brand new book. Her book, Emma's Question, is a lovely new picture book from Charlesbridge.

Mike Wohnoutka shares a secret. It wasn't Jack who built the house that Jack built. It was his dog, Max. I'm going to have to read Jack's House to get the whole story.

Joyce Sidman has a new book coming soon! Joyce is one of my all-time favorite poets. And she read a tiny excerpt from Red Sings from Treetops. Everyone sighed in delight. She's the author of This Is Just to Say: Poems of Apology and Forgiveness, one of the best poetry collections ever.