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Okay!  So I’m a little out of practice when it comes to these news items and looking at some of the stuff I’ve accumulated in the last month, a good swath of it is out of date.  Here’s what I have that’s current then.

Not long ago the good people at the Women’s National Book Association called me up and wondered if I’d be willing to participate in a kind of panel discussion with some female children’s author/illustrators . . . from Kazakhstan.  Twist!  Naturally I said yes indeed.  I mean, how often do you come across that kind of an offer?  Publishing Perspectives wrote up the meeting here.  No pictures of me except a nice glimpse of my left arm.  Publishers Weekly also wrote it up here but my favorite recounting is from what must be a translated site at How to Be Published which refers to me as a “New York Public Library girl materials dilettante”.  If I were a tattoo kind of gal, I would make that my standard.

• Two news items regarding good leftist cartoonists/children’s authors of the past.  The first is this fine cartoon tribute to Syd Hoff in Tablet by Sarah Lazarovic.  Thanks to Marjorie Ingall for that link.  The second regards one Mr. Crockett Johnson.  As you might recall he will be featured in a dual biography with Ruth Krauss by the multi-talented Phil Nel this coming fall.  The magnificent title is Crockett Johnson and Ruth Krauss: How an Unlikely Couple Found Love, Dodged the FBI, and Transformed Children’s Literature.  And then there’s the drop dead gorgeous book jacket by Chris Ware.  Phil pointed out that not only is Ware drawing in the style of Crockett, he’s also doing a Sendak here, a Mary Blair there, etc.  It’s also one of the sexier Ruth Krauss images I’ve seen.  Cannot wait to get my grubby mitts on that one.

• Not a New Blog Alert BUT . . . it might as well be for all that I’ve paid attention to it.  When I write a review on this site I puff myself a little and feel smart because I’m capable of linking to other reviews.  Big whoop.  When the good folks at The Classroom Bookshelf review a book they don’t just review it.  They interview the author via video, provide countless useful links, and generally make the book as useful and accessible to teachers as humanly possible.  It just puts me to shame.  They’re off for the summer (teachers, y’know) but that doesn’t mean you can’t get a bit of jaw-dropping in by seeing what they accomplished so far.  Dear Lord, I stand amazed.

• Some more me stuff.  First a
  3 Comments on Fusenews: Just your average everyday “New York Public Library girl materials dilettante”, last added: 7/5/2012
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  Philip Nel said, on 7/4/2012 10:37:00 PM
  

  Gosh, Betsy, thanks for the shout-out! I’ll ask the press to send a copy directly to your “grubby mitts.” And I couldn’t be more pleased with Chris Ware’s cover. The only down-side is that, for all subsequent books of mine, I’ll think, “Well, it’s not a bad cover. But this designer is no Chris Ware….”

  ChrisinNY said, on 7/5/2012 6:09:00 AM
  

  I happen to know an aspiring librarian who I thought might find your article useful! Hope she reads it (even if it came from mom….)

  Jennifer Schultz said, on 7/5/2012 6:50:00 AM
  

  Good article (I will say that in our county library system, we’ve had to close some positions when staff retired or left–we’ve been able to reopen one youth service position, but our assistant librarian position has been closed ever since the previous AL retired three or four years ago). If you’re able to relocate for a job, your job outlook may be decent. If you’re looking for a position in your immediate area and are not able to relocate, you have a much tougher situation. It’s rough out there–recent graduates have my sympathies.

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A book of letters I ought to have included in my ode to epistles and epistolaries the other day: Dear Genius: The Letters of Ursula Nordstrom. Miss Nordstrom, the pioneering editor behind Harper’s Department of Books for Boys and Girls from 1940 to 1973, was something of a genius herself. The list of children’s classics she was responsible for publishing is staggeringly long and awesome: Little Bear, Where the Wild Things Are, Goodnight Moon, Danny and the Dinosaur, Where the Sidewalk ends, Harold and the Purple Crayon, oh and a little thing called Charlotte’s Web—to name a very few.

Dear Genius is a collection of letters she wrote to authors, illustrators, reviewers, even parents and children who had written with responses to her books. She is unfailingly poised, charming, and insightful, even when responding to criticism. And her voice, oh her wonderful voice! Her letters are simply crammed with personality—she is wry, teasing, incisive, direct, and altogether brilliant.

Her editorial letters provide a fascinating look at the history of children’s publishing in America, both on the grand scale of publishing trends and literary vision, and on the micro scale of word choices for a single line of a specific book. For instance, in a 1957 letter to Syd Hoff about Danny and the Dinosaur, an early “I Can Read” book for beginning readers:

I think you should just say “One day Danny went to the museum.” (He didn’t actually want to “see how the world looked a long, long time ago,” as you put it, do you think? Very unchildlike. He might have wanted to go to see the dead mummies, or other specific things in a museum, but I wouldn’t mention that here because you mention it on following pages. So just have a simple statement on this first page. “One day Danny went to the museum.”) It is pretty short and if you can think of one more short sentence for this page by all means add it. I can’t come up with any suggestion myself. Page 8: You’ll have to simplify what he saw on this page. NOT THAT I WANT YOU TO GET SELF-CONSCIOUS ABOUT “I CAN READ.” I told you I wanted you to let me worry about that aspect and that’s all I’m doing now. You could just say “He saw Indians. He saw bears. He saw…” I haven’t been in a museum in 150 years and can’t think of anything else, but you can.

Or, in September 1963:

Maurice, before I sent the paste-up I went through it, rereading the words, and looking at the pictures again. It is MOST MAGNIFICENT, and we’re so proud to have it on our list. When you were much younger, and had done only a couple of books, I remember I used to write you letters when the books were finished, and thank you for “another beautiful” job—or some such dopiness. Now you’re rich and famous and need no words of wonder from me. But I must send them, anyhow, when I look through Where the Wild Things Are. I think it is utterly magnificent, and the words are beautiful and meaningful, and it does just wan

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Illustration by Syd Hoff from HENRIETTA'S FOURTH OF JULY

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Happy Saturday to everyone! It's a cold winter day here, but I have some warm (good looking) faces: the guys from SORORITY 101: ZETA OR OMEGA? and SORORITY 101: THE NEW SISTERS. Since the books aren't out yet and we don't want to give too much away, we'll see what the guys are up to and what you have to look forward to... We've got DeShawn Pritchard, David "Tiger" Harrison, and Lance McManus.

ME: Hey guys! Thanks for joining me today!

LANCE: Hey.

DESHAWN: What up?

TIGER: Thanks for having us.

ME: Introduce yourself and tell our readers something about you.

DESHAWN: I'm a sophomore at Latimer and I'm a running back for the Red Raiders. I'm majoring in architecture and I have a couple of classes with Lora-Leigh Sorenstein. She's pretty cool, but I have to stay focused on football and don't really have time for girls, even if they are cute.

LANCE: I'm on the Latimer swim team and spend most of my time between class and the natatorium. Roni Van Gelderen and I have had some interesting races in the pool. She's an amazing swimmer.

TIGER: David here. I'm on the Latimer golf team, so my fraternity brothers call me Tiger. I'm a sophomore in Phi Omicron Chi. I met Jenna on her first day of class. What a cutie she is! She's a lot of fun and I can't wait to hang more with her.

ME: Now...all three of you make your appearance in ZETA OR OMEGA?, but the book's really about the girls mostly. How do you feel taking a back seat to the ladies?

LANCE: Well, we're in THE NEW SISTERS a lot and readers really get to know us.

DESHAWN: (shrugs) I'm focused on football, like I said. Winning the game and getting seen by pro scout. That's what matters.

TIGER: I have a bigger role in ZETA OR OMEGA? so, you know, whatever. It's just great to be around such fun girls and help tell their stories.

ME: DeShawn, Lora-Leigh tells me that you also have a real talent in art. Can you tell us about that?

DESHAWN: (shrugs again) It is what it is, you know? You need to know how to draw if you're an architect, so it blends together. If I get in the NFL, I can't live off that forever. I just want to be able to make some good money and take care of my family since they've taken care of me.

ME: That's really great. Tiger, are you going to do anything with golf in the future?

TIGER: Not sure. Right now, I just like hanging with the guys and doing stuff at the frat house. I figure I've got the rest of this year to sort of figure out where I'm going.

ME: And Lance, what's your major?

LANCE: I'm studying Criminal Justice right now and I love my Geography class, as well. I'm with Tiger over here, college is great and I'm just trying to enjoy the exeperience and meeting so many new people.

ME: Thanks guys! One last question: who'd play you in a movie?

DESHAWN: (laughs and smiles) My man, Tyrese.



LANCE: Roni makes a reference to me being Clark Kent-ish, so I guess Brandon Routh.



TIGER: I've been told that I look like that guy on THE O.C. You know, Ryan Atwood.

ME: Benjamin McKenzie?

TIGER: Yeah, that's him.



ME: I agree with all three. Okay, guys! Thanks for your time. I hope our readers will look forward to reading more about you in the sorority books, available May 1, 2008. Thanks!

Marley = )
SORORITY 101: Zeta or Omega? (May 2008, Puffin Books)
SORORITY 101: The New Sisters (May 2008, Puffin Books)
GHOST HUNTRESS Series (Begins May 2009, Houghton Mifflin)

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Happy Saturday everyone! Here I am, sitting with my three heroines from the SORORITY 101 series: Veronica "Roni" Van Gelderen, Lora-Leigh Sorenstein, and Jenna Driscoll. Since their story won't be out until May 1st, I'll have to keep the questions generic as to not give away too much information.

ME: Hey girls!

IN UNISON: Hey!

ME: So, are you guys getting excited about the upcoming release of SORORITY 101: ZETA OR OMEGA? and SORORITY 101: THE NEW SISTERS?

RONI: I'm wicked excited!

JENNA: I can't wait for my family to read it.

LORA-LEIGH: Why do you northerns say "you guys" instead of "y'all?"

ME: Come on, Lora-Leigh...you know I've lived in both the north and the south. I just say what comes natural to me.

RONI: I say "you guys."

LORA-LEIGH: I know, and it drives me bat-$hit crazy.

JENNA: Y'aaaaaaaaalllllll...

ME: Okay, okay...this is getting us nowhere. So, what's your favorite part of college so far?

RONI: I love being on my own and striking out in the world, making new friends and fitting into such a great college community.

LORA-LEIGH: (rolls her eyes) Well, some people actually got to move away from home. How would you like it if your father was the dean of frickin' students and you had to go to school locally 'cause it was paid for?

JENNA: Some of us are on scholarship, you know, so anything that's paid for is great!

ME: As you can see, we have three very different, strong personalities at work here. Good thing they're all such good friends. But seriously...how's college working out for you?

JENNA: I'll admit that it's been some getting used to. The campus is so big and there are so many people from all over the place. There's a guy in my history class from Madagascar. How cool is that?

RONI: I love dorm life! I mean, I have a single room because my parents are such snobby aristocrats and didn't want me living with anyone else, but my room is sort of hang-out central for all of us. Especially when we were going through sorority recruitment. Lora-Leigh, Jenna, and I would go to my room and hang out and talk about the parties afterwards.

LORA-LEIGH: My roommate is a Goth girl who painted her half solid black. And she smokes Fisher sweet cigars. Bleck!

ME: Well, that's interesting! So, how did you girls -- see, I didn't say you guys -- initially meet?

JENNA: We were in the same Rush Group - number 7! Whooohooo!

RONI: I think we were destined to meet and be friends. Jenna and I hit it off immediately. Lora-Leigh and I had some...difficulties.

LORA-LEIGH: It's only 'cause I thought you were just like all the other snobby rich girls at school who'd look down at me 'cause I design my own clothes, wear a ton of earrings and have less-than-perfect salon hair.

RONI: (tackle-hugs Lora-Leigh) But that's why I like you, silly!

JENNA: (joins the hug) Y'all! Don't leave me out!

ME: Okay...lots of love in the room here, folks! Well, it's lunch time, so I won't keep you girls any longer. One final question: what would you like to say to your readers who'll be learning all about you on May 1st?

JENNA: Oh man! I just hope they love our story as much as we do! It's all about friendship and fitting in and finding your place. Oh, and cute boys! There are massively cute boys!

RONI: Yes, there are. What would college be like without a potpourri of fine guys?

LORA-LEIGH: Yeah, what they said...although, I'm not nearly as boy-crazy as Jenna is, there are some mighty fine athletes in my classes. But yeah, I'm glad I went through the whole sorority recruitment thing. I never would have met these two knuckleheads. (Lora-Leigh hip-checks Roni into Jenna)

ME: All right, ladies! Thanks for stopping in! Can't wait until the books come out in three months!

JENNA: Woot!

RONI: Wait'll my mother reads it!

LORA-LEIGH: Mine has an advanced copy.

RONI: How is that possible?! Marley!

ME: Okay, okay...I'll send you all advanced copies. Thanks again! And to the readers, please remember to pick up Roni, Lora-Leigh, and Jenna's stories on May 1st when both ZETA OR OMEGA? and THE NEW SISTERS hit the book stores!



Hugs!
Marley = )

SORORITY 101: Zeta or Omega? (May 2008, Puffin Books)
SORORITY 101: The New Sisters (May 2008, Puffin Books)
GHOST HUNTRESS Series (Begins May 2009, Houghton Mifflin)

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...for this important winner announcement!

I'm pleased to say that my friend, Rebecca, here at work, chose the following names randomly (and looked at me like I was crazy as I asked her to do it) to win my Saturday book giveaway.

Without any further ado...

The winner of Wendy Toliver's THE SECRET LIFE OF A TEENAGE SIREN is...



dianaxxlynn

Yeah!!!!! To be shipped out after the release date of December 26th.

And the winner of an advance copy (as soon as I get it) of my SORORITY 101: ZETA OR OMEGA? is...



Maureen McGowan

Whooohooo!!!

If you ladies will please e-mail me your snail mail address to marley @ webstuffdesign.com (no spaces), then I'll get these books out as soon as they're available.

Thanks to everyone who entered and commented. Stick around...2008 is going to have a lot more giveaways!

Hugs,
Marley = )

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'Tis the season!!

I have another fun giveaway here for our readers, which also includes a favorite teen book! It's a book that's debuting in eleven days. A book that I had the privilege of reading during the very beginning stages. A book that I fell in love with immediately and couldn't put down (okay, technically, I couldn't stop scrolling because it was on my computer screen.) It's got one of the most beautiful endings ever and I can't wait for everyone to read it. It's by one of my bestest buddies, Wendy Toliver and it's called THE SECRET LIFE OF A TEENAGE SIREN:

Geeky to gorgeous in sixty seconds...
Roxy's about to turn sixteen, but life isn't so sweet. As a band geek, Roxy can barely get the cute guys to notice her, much less go out with her. Then, on her birthday, Roxy is transformed into a siren: seductively beautiful with the power to control all men. She thought sirens were an ancient myth, but suddenly Roxy can get any guy she wants with just a few notes on her flute.

There are only two rules: don't tell anyone about being a siren, and don't fall in love. When she starts dating Zach, the guy everybody's crushing on, Roxy realizes she could get used to this siren thing...but how can she keep herself from falling in love?

I hope everyone rushes out to get the book on December 26th! And, for one lucky blog reader, I'll be giving away a copy of the book. Keep reading!

But wait...there's more! My editor told me that my advanced reader copies of SORORITY 101: ZETA OR OMEGA will be shipped to me next week. Sooo...I'm giving away a copy of it, as well.



Here's the blurb:

High school is already a distant memory for incoming Latimer University freshmen, Jenna, Roni, and Lora-Leigh. Jenna wants to meet cute college boys, Roni wants to get away from home, and Lora-Leigh...well, Lora-Leigh couldn't care less. She's going to LU and participating in sorority recruitment only to appease her mom. Sorority girls are pretty, rich, andsnotty, and Lora-Leigh doesn't want to be one of those girls. So she's shocked to find her self actually connecting with the sisters of Zeta Zeta Tau. And her new friend Jenna can relate. She came to sorority recruitment only because her roommate begged her to, but now she can't decide with sorority to join; she likes them all! Roni, on the other hand, knows which sorority she should join. The Tri-Omegas are exactly the type of "it" girls she would usually befriend, but Roni came to LU to reinvent herself. As recruitment progresses and the girls to make big decision, they'll need to heed the best advice there is: follow your heart. But where will it lead?

To qualify for both giveaways, please leave a comment about the absolute best, most rocking holiday present you've ever received. Winners will be announced on Wednesday!

And now...for the winners of Simone and Dona's giveaways:

For Simone's post, here are the winners!!

These people won all three titles:

WannabeWriter
Alyssa
Katie
Teen Zone

These people get to choose one title:

Charlotte
Burger
The Page Flipper
Zachariah

Please e-mail Simone your name/address to simone_elkeles @ yahoo.com (no spaces)

And for Dona's giveaway:

The winner is...

Marlayne

Please e-mail Dona at dona @ donasarkarmishra.com (no spaces)

Thanks everyone!!!

Hugs,
Marley = )

SORORITY 101: Zeta or Omega? (May 2008, Puffin Books)
SORORITY 101: The New Sisters (May 2008, Puffin Books)
GHOST HUNTRESS Series (Begins May 2009, Houghton Mifflin)

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No...not those boys in uniform...the boys who strap on the pads and jerseys every weekend and entertain us with their gladiatorness on the gridiron.



Yes, I'm talking football players! Respect them, cheer for them, love them!

I went to a "football" school, so it's in my blood. It runs Crimson, in fact. I majored in the football team my freshman year and boy, was it fun.



There's just something about a beautiful fall afternoon with the smell of football in the air. The clash between rivals, the ferocity trying to get that desperately needed first down, fighting for bragging rights. In college football, in particular, the players aren't being paid. They're playing with their guts. Not for glory.

In my SORORITY 101 books, football plays a big part on the Latimer University campus and is the setting for a lot of activities. And, there's a hunky football player that one of my heroines falls for. Of course!



Today is the The Big Game for my university: The Iron Bowl. It's the traditional yearly game between The University of Alabama (Roll Tide!) and Auburn University. While my Bama boys haven't had the best of seasons, I always expect them to rise to the occasion to battle the Tigers. (It's on ESPN tonight at 8:00 p.m. if you want to tune in.)














So, here's a hearty "Roooooooooooollllllllllllll Tide Roll" for the boys in Crimson who come into my living room every weekend and entertain me...and often break my heart. But I keep coming back for more.



Who's your favorite team? Do you have any traditions when getting ready for the games?

Hugs,
Marley = )

SORORITY 101: Zeta or Omega? (May 2008, Puffin Books)
SORORITY 101: The New Sisters (May 2008, Puffin Books)
GHOST HUNTRESS Series (Begins May 2009, Houghton Mifflin)

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No, I'm not Admiral James Stockdale who's running for Vice President with Ross Perot (is that too old of a reference?) I'm Marley Gibson and I'm a young adult author.

Here's the "famed" picture everyone saw at RWA in Dallas this year...(sorry, I don't have an official author photo yet.)



I love saying that. "I'm an author." And, come May 2008, I'll be a published authors. A dream come true. Here I am with my first contract/advance.



People ask me when I first started writing and I answer with "I don't remember a time when I wasn't writing." I used to pen stories for my family and would then have an auction after dinner where my mother, brother, father and sister would "bid" on the stories. It was stuff like: "My teddy bear is Donny. He has a green body. His head is brown. The end." As I grew up, I wrote all sorts of stories. When I was fifteen, I started writing my first young adult story. It was about a cheerleader and a basketball player who fell in love. I still have it and it's not half bad.

In college, I took a lot of writing classes and majored in advertising where I did a lot of creative copywriting. All through my career as a marketing events planner, I've written newsletters, client sheets, white papers, advertisements, press releases, direct mail, you name it.

In January 2001, I decided I could no longer prevail in the dot.com/dot.bomb world that demanded twelve hour days from me and massive travel. I wanted to downsize my career, but I wanted to do something with my writing. And I did. From January to August, I wrote my first completed novel. All 863 pages of! OMG! But it got me writing and I haven't stopped yet. I've written fourteen manuscripts and five partial manuscripts. And I have two books coming out next year!

Here's the first book: SORORITY 101: ZETA OR OMEGA?, writing as Kate Harmon.



In the first book, three heroines from very different backgrounds become friends during Sorority Rush at Latimer University. There's Veronica Van Gelderen (please call her Roni), a Boston Brahman who has rebelled against her parents' money and wishes for a Harvard education to strike out on her own at Latimer. Jenna Driscoll seeks to find a close-knit family, just like the one she left in Atlanta, while trying to hide her diabetes from her new friends. Lora-Leigh Sorenstein is a local gal who dreams of going to design school in New York City. However, her father, Latimer's Dean of Students, insists she stay close to home and her mother insists she Rush. Each girl must decide which sorority house is right for her...and why. The excitement of Sorority Rush is seen through each girl's perspective, ending with their emotional decision and ultimate excitement on Bid Day.

SORORITY 101: THE NEW SISTERS, writing as Kate Harmon



The second book, which comes out at the same time as the first, picks up right after Bid Day, when Roni, Jenna and Lora-Leigh are getting used to the college scene and their life as new sorority members. Roni struggles long-distance with her relationship with her hand's off parents, Lora-Leigh tries to win back her mother's trust after disappointing her, and Jenna is reluctant to share her diabetes with her new sisters until she's struck with a seizure and has her sisters to thank for getting her to the hospital. The story follows each girl as they settle into their academic life, attend fraternity swaps, meet cute guys, and bond with their new sorority sisters. The story ends with the girls being initiated into their chosen sorority.

I'm really excited about the books and I hope you will be too when they come out. I had a great time writing them and feel like there's a little piece of me in Roni, Jenna and Lora-Leigh.

As we get closer to the release date, look for advance copy giveaways here on Books, Boys, Buzz!

Hugs,
Marley = )

What I'm currently reading: Simone's LEAVING PARADISE...and you'll have to excuse me because I have got to get back to it!!!! It's phenomenal!

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