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Just stay home. Please.

Find something else to do.

Each year I do this event, which features more than 60 amazing children’s book authors and illustrators, and it’s always such a disappointment. For starters, check out some of the people who’ll be there, and you’ll understand why I’m so bummed:

Tony Abbott, Nora Raleigh Baskin, Nick Bruel, Bryan Collier, Katie Davis, Bruce Degen, Jean Craighead George, Charise Mericle Harper, Susan Jeffers, Peter Lerangis, Gail Carson Levine, Carolyn MacCullough, Rafe Martin, Wendy Mass, Matthew McElligott, Helen Perelman, Wendell Minor, Gloria Pinkney, Lizzy Rockwell, Todd Strasser, Mark Teague, Jean Van Leeuwen, Eric Velasquez, Sarah Weeks, Ed Young, and more.

Why so down-in-the-dumps you ask? Because I never get to talk to any of them. I never get a chance to meet the new (to me!) people, like Will Moses (Mary and Her Little Lamb), Lena Roy (Edges), Daniel Kirk (Library Mouse), Peter Brown (You Will Be My Friend!) . . .

. . . and Jerry Davis (Little Chicken’s Big Day). Who are these people? Might they become my new best pals? Um, not likely! Because they are sitting at tables forty feet away, surrounded by happy children, shopping grandparents, and strong-armed educators, hauling bags of books like Sherpa guides.

Best I can do is throw rocks at ‘em.

And, oh, hey, look over there, it’s Jean Craighead George. She’s only a freakin’ legend. I can’t throw rocks at Jean Craighead George. She’ll throw them back — and her arm is a bazooka.

Oh,  wait.  Here’s old friends like Mark Teague and Helen Perelman and Peter Lerangis. Can I talk to any of them? Can we hang out? Maybe shoot the breeze? Commiserate?

Nooooooo. I’m too busy signing books, meeting young readers, gabbing with families, prostrating myself before the cheerful & smiling hordes.

Writing is a solitary business, folks. And it’s frustrating for me to sit there at gorgeous Sunnyside . . .

. . . just feet away from my peerless peers, and never have a free minute to chat with them.

So my dream is for just one year, nobody comes. No book sales, no signings, no musicians, no storytellers, no-bah-dee. Just us authors, finally (finally!) enjoying a few moments when we can hang out and complain about the crappy jobs our publishers do with publicity and marketing. It’s how we bond. We bitch and moan about Kindles.

So this coming Sunday, clean the garage, watch football, wax the car. But if you insist on coming . . . click

Once a Witch tells the story of Tamsin Green, a member of very Talented witch family. At the time of her birth, Tamsin is predicted to be the most Talented of them all. Now that Tamsin is a teenager, it seems unusual that her abilities never developed, leaving her as the black sheep of the family. When a mysterious stranger shows up at her grandmother’s store asking for help retrieving a valuable heirloom, Tamsin agrees, hoping to prove her self-worth despite a lack of Talent. The same day, Aunt Lydia (a family friend, not really her aunt) and her son, Gabriel, return from California. Gabriel winds up joining Tasmin on her search, and along the way Tasmin gets reacquainted with the childhood friend she didn’t write to for years, realizing that he’s done a lot of growing up during their time apart. Together, Tasmin and Gabriel travel through time uncovering secrets of the Green family’s history and growing closer.

Carolyn MacCullough creates an exciting urban fantasy in Once a Witch. A complex story full of intrigue, romance, power, and conflict, this novel will utterly absorb the reader. I was impressed by the way Carolyn MacCullough cleverly plays with time, weaving an intricate web of clues and adventures for Tamsin and Gabriel. Not a single character in this story is there for padding – even the minor ones are important. Rather than being a classic novel of good-versus-evil, the Green’s shady history leads Tamsin, and with her the reader, to question otherwise accepted truths and individuals’ motivations. Above all, this is a story about discovering one’s identity and protected those you care for. Once a Witch is a thrilling race through time with an enchanting love story that leaves the reader desperate for a sequel. 8 out of 10.

P.S. Once a Witch has a really awesome website including quizzes, a family tree, and information about witches.

We've somewhat moved on from vampires into other realms of supernatural beings, i.e. zombies, werewolves, fairies, etc. And sometimes it gets tiring, I must admit. There don't seem to be many teen fantasy novels out lately that don't have a main character that's somehow not human, so you can't blame me for being slightly wary when it came to this one. I was slightly afraid of being bored, but ended up pleasantly surprised with a likable main character and a thrilling plot.

Once a Witch, written by Carolyn MacCullough features Tamsin, a 17 year old girl, who completely disappoints her family, simply by being ordinary. Tamsin comes from a long line of incredibly powerful witches and at birth, she was thought to be one of the most powerful in the world. Instead, her magic never came. She is just an ordinary, clumsy, teen stuck in a family of fantastic, beautiful, powerful beings. That will take take a toll on almost anyone!

While working in her grandmother's bookshop, Tamsin is approached by a mysterious man needing her sister's help in "locating" something very important. Instead of filling the man in on who she is, Tamsin pretends to be her sister, wanting to be able to accomplish what the man wants and prove to her family she's not just ordinary. What happens though is a crazy, thrill ride of events, mixing magic, some romance, and a whole lot of danger into Tamsin's slightly boring exhistence.

I loved Tamsin's character (and her name!) and really felt teen girls would understand where she's coming from, (even if her main complaints are because she doesn't have any powers). We all know what it feels like to not fit in and this character definitely has the relatability factor down. The plot was unique and exciting, for the most part, though I did feel small chunks of the story could have been cut out and it would have prevented a slight dragging through some portions.

Highly recommended for fantasy fans, a nice choice for libraries as well.

To learn more or to purchase, click on the book cover above to link to Amazon.

Once a Witch
Carolyn MacCullough
304 pages
Young Adult
Clarion Books
9780547223995
September 2009