small graces: NOW!

Oops, forgot to send the notice for this earlier but the small graces auction is happening NOW!!

Bid Here: http://cgi.ebay.com/ORIGINAL-PAINTING-by-Childrens-Book-Author-GRACE-LIN_W0QQitemZ220451246067QQcmdZViewItemQQptZArt_Paintings?hash=item3353eb0ff3&_trksid=p3911.c0.m14&_trkparms=65%3A12|66%3A4|39%3A1|72%3A1205|293%3A1|294%3A200

Married!

Our wedding was perfect, I am still reeling from the experience of it all. We were surrounded by the most loving, generous people who made the weekend so special for both of us. Unfortunately I have very few pictures yet (hurry up photographer!)...

Chautauqua, Part One

First things first: Anna is now married! Her wedding on Saturday was absolutely beautiful, so touching, perfect. She and Bruno wrote their own vows, and I swear--there wasn't a dry eye in the place. So romantic and joyous. I'm sure there will be pictures later...(I have yet to upload mine).

I apologize for the late post, but after a travel day on Sunday that started at 2:30 in the morning and ended with a 12:30 pm arrival (10 hours!), I'm now in Chautauqua, NY for the Highlights Writers Workshop. It's a week-long program at the Chautauqua Institute, and even though I've only been here a day an a half so far, I absolutely love it. It's such a idyllic setting. My hotel room overlooks the lake, and this morning I woke up early enough to see the sun rising over the water. It's a gated, walking community with lots of amphitheaters and parks and gardens. There are little brown bats flying around eating all the bugs (as opposed to Little, Brown editors), and most of all, there are passionate, friendly, and excited children's book enthusiasts.

Sunday afternoon Jerry and Eileen Spinelli gave a fun, playful talk at a chicken cook-out--they basically interviewed each other. Some little tidbits I learned was that Eileen consistently beats Jerry in Scrabble, and that Jerry's slippers at home are 20-years-old. These are things about authors that we need to know!

This morning Peter Jacobi gave a detailed informative speech about how our work need to soar. His mantra that we repeated after him at the end:

Fly, Oh Thought of Mine, on Golden Wings.

I met with four authors one-on-one for 30 minutes, going over pages I had read and critiqued ahead of time, and in the afternoon, after sitting in on Patricia Lee Gauch's workshop on Conflict and Tension, and then Stephen Roxburgh's on Plot, I gave my first of two talks, From Slush to Contract. It's a talk I've given several times before, but as usual I tweaked and specialized it for the audience. I think it was well-received...

And tonight I've just returned from a lovely dinner where Candace Fleming told her own Chautauqua success story. She first came as an attendee 16 years ago, and has now published 22 books with more on the way.

I'm absolutely loving this conference, and so far, would highly recommend it to authors. I believe it's pricey, but they do offer scholarships and grants. And people come from all over the world--so far I've met writers from Ecuador, Turkey, Japan, and Israel.

Tomorrow morning the legendary Patricia Lee Gauch is giving a keynote, and then I meet with my remaining three authors. Everyone meets with their faculty member twice during the week, which I think is a great format.

And so, with that, I bid you all good night. More next week!

POETRY FRIDAY: Anniversary by Cecilia Woloch

On July 19th, my husband and I will celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary. I was a lucky girl. I met my husband in high school. We started dating when we were fifteen. My Mike is a great husband and father, a wonderful friend and brother, and a fabulous cook. We’ve been together for nearly fifty years!

I’ll be away in Maine next Friday—so I thought I’d post a special anniversary poem this week.


Anniversary
by Cecilia Woloch

Didn’t I stand there once,
white-knuckled, gripping the just-lit taper,
swearing I’d never go back?
And hadn’t you kissed the rain from my mouth?
And weren’t we gentle and awed and afraid…

You can read the rest of the poem here.

Here is a picture of Mike and me that was taken recently at the wedding

of the son of two of our best friends.

At Wild Rose Reader, I have two original acrostics: CRAB and CRICKETS. I also have a recommendation for a book of summer acrostics by Steven Schnur.

At Political Verses, I have a poem about the resignation speech of Alaska’s Governor entitled Sarah Palin’s Swan/Duck/Goose Song.

Jama Rattigan has the Poetry Friday Roundup this week.

Chinasprout Promotion

Did you miss the free bookplate offer from my online booklaunch? Don't worry! You can still get an autographed book!


Chinasprout is offering 10% off copies of Where the Mountain Meets the Moon which will include this special bookplate that I made & autographed for them:



So get a book while supplies last. And don't forget to take a photo with it! Remember:
Go and post your photos!

final fish?

Long-time readers of my blog posts may remember when I was tormented by fish (from this post and this post)--images of fish seemed to swimming in my subconscious, popping up at me randomly and incessantly, as if reminding me that I needed to make a fish book. I thought I had exorcised them when I wrote Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, where a goldfish's voice is finally heard. That, I thought, would be the end of my bizarre fish sightings.

But I was wrong. Today, in the mail, I received this mysterious package:
Strangely, it seemed to be for no one and from myself (but I didn't send it, at least I don't think I did).

Inside is a small white box that contains a....


What?

Yes, it's some kind of fish pin--a real fish encased in resin, then made into a pin.

Accompanying this box is a card that is addressed to "Megan" from "Judith." I don't know a Megan (spelled this way) or a Judith. And who is Andrew? A husband? Son? Boyfriend?



Very curious! Very mysterious! It's like a beginning of a novel! Perhaps it is some sort of sign, a message that there are more fish wanting to be set free from my subconscious. That another fish book is in my destiny.

Or that I just opened Megan's birthday gift from Judith. Sorry, Megan!

Going to the chapel, er, field with an oak tree...

What wedding is complete without 6 giant bunny heads?



Gettin' hitched this weekend... see you on the other side (with pictures)!

Sneak Peek at Spring 2010

We had our Focus meeting a few weeks ago where we presented to our Sales, Marketing, and Publicity teams our Spring/Summer 2010 list for the first time. I thought I'd give you all a sneak peek of my (and Connie's) titles:

picture books:
Sit-In: How Four Friends Stood Up by Sitting Down by Andrea Pinkney, illustrated by Brian Pinkney.
This is a title that I'm handling for our editor-in-chief during her maternity leave, and it's been a real honor to work on this beautiful book with such an amazing team. This is a nonfiction picture book about the momentous Greensboro, North Carolina Woolworth's lunch counter sit-ins that started on February 1, 1960. Next year will be the 50th Anniversary of this historic moment that helped spur on the entire Civil Rights movement.

Shark vs. Train by Chris Barton, illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld
A hilarious, wacky book that pits Shark against Train in increasingly silly scenarios. Shark and Train play basketball, go bowling, play hide-and-seek, have a burping contest, and more. Who do you think wins, and who are you going to root for, Shark or Train?

Look! A Book! by Bob Staake
This is another project I'm handling for our Editor in Chief. Bob Staake is an award-winning author/illustrator of over 40 books who also has numerous New Yorker covers to his name. This is a fun seek-and-find book in the tradition of Where's Waldo, but with an innovative format using die-cuts on every page.

Board books:
Boy of Mine and Girl of Mine by Jabari Asim, illustrated by LeUyen Pham*
These are two board books that are companions to the adorable Whose Knees are These and Whose Toes are Those by the same team. The text in these two bedtime board books is fun and lyrical, and LeUyen's illustrations are absolutely brilliant. I can't wait to give these books as gifts to my friends with babies!

Middle Grade Fiction:
Ling & Ting: Not Exactly the Same by Grace Lin
This isn't really Middle Grade, but it falls between MG and picture book, so this is where we slotted it. This is an early reader, 48 pages, full color throughout, about two irresistible twins named Ling and Ting. They look exactly alike, but in reality they're very different. This is an exciting new format for Grace, and one that we haven't published much before either, but it's an absolutely beautiful, adorable book. Was Ling named after me? You'll have to ask Grace. :)

Moonshadow: The Rise of the Ninja by Simon Higgins*
A fun action adventure set in ancient Japan, and written by an expert of Japanese swordplay. This book was first published in Australia. This is a little more light and commercial that my usual books, but I loved the humor, the action scenes, the little bit of magic, and the historic setting. And although the main character is a boy, he encounters a girl ninja spy along the way, so there's plenty of girl power here as well. And who can resist ninjas?

The Adventures of Nanny Piggins by R.A. Spratt, illustrated by Dan Santat*
This is my assistant Connie Hsu's second acquisition, but I wanted to include it here because it's so frickin AWESOME. This is Mary Poppins meets Babe with the wicked sense of humor of Roald Dahl. This is the story of three kids and their nanny--who just happens to be a pig, and a wonderful adventurous, stylish one at that. Oh, and she has an insatiable love of chocolate. Here's a character sketch of Nanny Piggins in her former life as a circus pig.

Young adult fiction:
Guardian of the Dead by Karen Healey
This is a debut urban fantasy set in New Zealand and steeped in Maori lore. What impressed me most was the sharp, fresh voice and the kick-ass main character. It's deliciously creepy, sexy, scary, funny, and full of adventure, Maori fairies, monsters, and of course an epic battle. We already have endorsements from Holly Black and Libba Bray, the latter who says, "Mark my words, Karen Healey is going to be a big star." I believe it.

Sorta Like a Rock Star by Matthew Quick
When I first read this novel, I was on the subway, and I was right in the middle of a very tragic, heartbreaking scene that resulted in snot and tears running down my face--pretty embarrassing. But people who know me know that I'm a sucker for books that make me cry, and this was love at first sight for me. This book is Juno meets Stargirl--Juno for it's fresh, spunky voice, and Stargirl because of its message of optimism and hope.


Stay tuned for these books next Spring/Summer!

*books Connie took the editorial lead on

Psychoanalysis: An Elegy by Jack Spicer

I think it's about time to build an ark in my backyard. We've had nearly forty days of rain in a row. Everything I touch is damp! I hope we see a little sun here for the holiday weekend is over!

Psychoanalysis: An Elegy
by Jack Spicer

What are you thinking about?


I am thinking of an early summer.
I am thinking of wet hills in the rain
Pouring water. Shedding it
Down empty acres of oak and manzanita
Down to the old green brush tangled in the sun,
Greasewood, sage, and spring mustard.
Or the hot wind coming down from Santa Ana
Driving the hills crazy,
A fast wind with a bit of dust in it
Bruising everything and making the seed sweet.
Or down in the city where the peach trees
Are awkward as young horses,
And there are kites caught on the wires
Up above the street lamps,
And the storm drains are all choked with dead branches.

You can read the rest of the poem here.

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!!!

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At Wild Rose Reader, I have an original “tortoise” acrostic and reviews of two pictures books with fables written in verse.

At Political Verses, I have poems from Frances Richey’s book The Warrior: A Mother’s Story of a Son at War. The post also includes a video of Richey and her son speaking with Jeffrey Brown on the Online NewsHour Poetry Series.


Tabatha A. Yeats has the Poetry Friday Roundup this week.

Online Launch!

I can't believe it but Where the Mountain Meets the Moon is now officially released! In celebration, I am throwing an online party! Please come!

There are favors, contests, games and much more. Some of the fun requires that you are on facebook, but I've given some alternatives in case you aren't a facebook fan. I'd just be thrilled to see you there!

Have a cupcake, find out what Chinese Symbol you need to change your fortune or listen to an excerpt of the book. Also, TODAY ONLY I am offering special personalized & dated autographed bookplates. So, really, don't miss it.

In the meantime here is a preview of some of the "party entertainment" at the launch. It's a little interview about the inside notes of Where the Mountain Meets the Moon:



I hope all of this makes Where the Mountain Meets the Moon even more enjoyable for you or at least piques your interest in it. If it does, I humbly ask that you spread the word and invite others to the launch. Because it's not a party unless people come!

Evolution of a sketch

In one of the scenes in Disappearing Desmond the new kid at school (Gloria) keeps noticing Desmond, despite his efforts to keep out of sight. Here is the evolution of that sketch.

At first my idea was to have Desmond hiding in a bush, fruitlessly shielding himself with a branch, and Gloria turning to notice him:



Then I thought it might be better visually for them to be on different planes, with Desmond up in a tree and Gloria down on the ground, to underscore their different frames of mind (Gloria being extroverted, and Desmond being introverted):



But something still didn't feel right... so I flipped the image of Desmond so that Gloria notices him as she passes. I thought this better showed how effortlessly Gloria sees him (she doesn't turn and is not looking right at him), which tells us about who she is and tells us more about him, that his efforts at hiding are in vain:

Beyond the Book: Confetti Girl by Diana Lόpez

Beyond the Book: Confetti Girl by Diana LopezConfetti Girl was submitted to me by agent Stefanie von Borstel of Full Circle Literary after we had met at a conference. I had mentioned that I was looking for more multicultural projects, both projects that had very much to do with cultural identity, and other projects that featured main characters of color, but of which their ethnicity was not the main focus in terms of the story and plot. I had given her a copy of The Year of the Dog as an example of the latter, and she told me she had the perfect novel to send me.

Stefanie pitched Diana Lopez as the "Latina Judy Blume"--not a bad comparison! Here's the summary of Confetti Girl:

Apolonia "Lina" Flores is a sock enthusiast, a volleyball player, a science lover, and a girl who's just looking for answers. Even though her house is crammed full of books (her dad's a bibliophile), she's having trouble figuring out some very big questions, like why her dad seems to care about books more than her, why her best friend's divorced mom is obsessed with making cascarones (hollowed eggshells filled with colorful confetti), and, most of all, why her mom died last year. Like colors in a cascarone, Lina's life is a rainbow of people, interests, and unexpected changes.

As I often mention, I need to make sure I love a book enough to want to "marry" it before I acquire it. After all, if we take on a project, we have to read it over and over at many different stages, to be wed to it for its lifetime. And so we have to make sure that we’re willing to commit completely, heart and soul, to a project.

As soon as I finished reading the first draft of Confetti Girl, I knew I wanted to marry it. Sure, I wanted to work with the author to make the novel even better, but the great thing about marrying a novel as opposed to a person is that you truly can make changes (a person might not be as open to changing!).

However, I also knew that it wasn't quite ready for our acquisitions meeting. My main issue was that it was stuck between the Middle Grade and Young Adult age groups, and I thought it should be younger, solidly middle grade. Thankfully, Diana and Stefanie agreed to revise the novel before a contract, and I sent over an editorial letter. She actually ended up revising the novel twice before I brought it to the acquisitions meeting, as the first revision was still not quite there, but close.

And throughout every stage of the process, I was always delighted with how much I loved this book in all of its manifestations. Diana’s voice is so lovely and sweet, and as clichéd as it sounds, this book truly made me laugh and cry.

Thankfully, my acquisitions committee loved the novel, too, and a year and two months after the first draft was submitted to me, I was able to offer Diana a contract. I'm so thrilled that it is finally out in the world (it pubbed at the beginning of this month).

A note on the cover: this is the first novel designed by our fantastic senior art director Patti Ann Harris, who specializes in picture book and novelty books. And I think she's done an absolutely fantastic job and perfectly captured the joy and flavor of the book. We hesitated a bit to put socks on the cover, as there have been a few similar designs on books recently, but in the end, it was just so perfect for the novel (Lina is a "sockiophile" after all!) that we went with it. Patti Ann did a photoshoot in the office, and the feet on the cover belong to one of my editor colleagues! We sent the socks to Diana when we were done:
Diana is a Texan native and taught middle school there for nine years, and she has perfectly captured that setting and age group. Her characters are quirky and real, and every time I read her book, I marvel at how simply charming and engaging her writing is.

Happily, the book has only received glowing reviews thus far:

"The story is saturated with Spanish traditions, such as the making of "cascarones" (confetti-filled eggs), and the chapters begin with "dichos," truisms that help Lina feel connected to her mother. Employing lovely metaphors and realistic dialogue, adult author López (Sofia's Saints) delicately displays the power of optimism and innovation during difficult times."
--Publisher’s Weekly

"An appealing coming-of-age novel."
--Kirkus

I absolutely knew from the start that this was both an author and novel that was extremely special, and I hope you all agree!

Read more about Diana and Confetti Girl on her website and this great interview over at Cynsations.

POP! is done

Finally, finally, finally, I finished the art for my bubble gum book. I turned it in last week. I was in SO much agony trying to finish it! I'm not talking mental agony but physical. Lots and lots of pain, so I'm glad it's over. I would post some photos but I don't have the art so I can't. I do plan on making a nice video teaser for it... I HOPE!

Anyway, for this video of mine I'm hoping for some photos (or even better videos!) of people and kids blowing bubbles. So please, send them to me! You'll end up in the video.

Now it's cleaning time. I always need to do a serious cleaning after a book gets done because it's pure madness!





This has nothing to do with my books but I saw this the other day:

Take the Dare--show you care!

I just donated a 5-page critique to author Cynthea Liu's auction to benefit a Title 1 school in Oklahoma. You can bid on my critique here, and check out the other fabulous items/services to bid on here!

POETRY FRIDAY: If Women Get the Vote

I'm heading to Maine today for a wedding--so here's my Poetry Friday submission a day early. The poem is entitled If Women Get the Vote. It was written by a poet friend of mine who asked if I'd post the poem--anonymously--at Political Verses.

If Women Get the Vote
19th Amendment
Ratified August 18, 1920

There’s no use to pretend,
The world’s about to end,
If women get the vote.

The Catholics'll get in,
The blacks and Jews'll win,
If women get the vote.

Who wants to take the chance
That they'll be wearing pants,
If women get the vote?

You can read the rest of the poem here: If Women Get the Vote

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Kelly Herold is doing the Poetry Friday Roundup this week at Crossover.

my blog tour!

My lovely publicist at L,B set up a blog tour for me and it starts TODAY. I guess that means Where the Mountain Meets the Moon is going to finally be out (please come to the online launch on July 1st)!

The first stop is at Little Willow and goes onto July 3rd:

Wednesday, June 24th: Bildungsroman
Thursday, June 25th: Shelf Elf
Friday, June 26th: Paper Tigers
Saturday, June 27th: MotherReader
Sunday, June 28th: Charlotte's Library
Monday, June 29th: Write for a Reader
Tuesday, June 30th: The Mommy Files
Wednesday, July 1st: Thrifty Minnesota Mama
Thursday, July 2nd: Creative Madness
Friday, July 3rd: Abby the Librarian


And as a bonus, I just saw (because I love her blog so) Jama Rattigan wrote a wonderful post about The Ugly Vegetables too!

goofy author indulgences

So, I have to admit I have begun to love doing author photos. I've discovered my inner Cindy Sherman;I'm enamored with the idea of transforming myself for that one photo and making the author photo as much a part of the art of the book as the illustrations are.

If you remember, I first started doing this with the author photo for Where the Mountain Meets the Moon (which will launch on July 1st!) where a glamour studio in Taiwan took me from this:To this: which has ended up:
For some reason, that just made me feel quite jolly and I decided that from then on I was always going to try to have a themed author picture.

Now, my book coming coming out in Spring '10 is "Ling and Ting." It a fun, sweet and silly early reader (grades K-3) featuring Chinese-American Twins in polka-dot dresses and cupcake cameos.

So, my author photo shoot for it includes photos like this:

Which one do you think I should use?

Highlights from a crazy month

Please forgive my lack of posting, the past few weeks have been mad! Since I lasted posted I have moved from Boston to Northampton, finished the book dummy for Disappearing Desmond, and been scrambling to finish planning my wedding which is now in LESS THAN THREE WEEKS. *gulp* Since I am still knee deep in boxes and seating charts, I will offer some highlights in pictures...

When we first arrived, my studio looked like this:



I needed to set it up right away to meet a deadline, I'd say its about 75% there now... still need to put up my bulletin boards do a little rearranging. Definitely the biggest work space I've had so far!



Here is George sleeping in the mess, with his head resting on a wooden shelf. Oh George.



Once the studio was in order I finished off the Desmond sketches I've been working on. I have to say I am very excited about this book.



When not drawing or unpacking, I've been attempting to continue with wedding craft projects. My mother and I are sewing cloth napkins out of this amazing fabric I found on fabric.com:



This is what they look like. Each place setting will have a different napkin, and guests will get a set as gifts.



Can't forget about the legal stuff! Yesterday we headed down to City Hall for our marriage license:



Here we are out front, bleary-eyed but happy. Its been a little crazy having everything happen at once, but when we took the oath and got our little slip of paper we couldn't help but feel that everything is happening just as it should.

Picture books, the two year old's view

If there was a time when I loved picture books, I was so young that I don't remember it -- so it's been fascinating to see their effect on the two and a half-year-old I babysit for now.

I would have thought that if ever a book needed no explanation or analysis, that book was GOOD NIGHT MOON. Maybe that just proves that I don't really get picture books. When we read it, he commented on "Good-night, nobody." He thought it meant that there was no one there, so I turned the pages back to show him all the people in the room, and he was more puzzled.

I said I thought the boy/rabbit was making a joke, and he laughed in that fake way some kids do when they know YOU think it's funny, but they don't really get it. I tried again to explain.

Later, when he woke up from his nap, he smiled at me in a way that showed he was VERY pleased with himself and said,
"Good-night, nobody."
He said it a few more times, I laughed, and he again commented that there had been no one there. So I explained again -- and he wanted to get the book and read it again. He also said,
"Let's talk about it." (This MUST be a phrase his mother uses!)

So we read it again: I could see that he was really impatient to get to that page. When we did, I again turned back the pages to show all the people who were in the room. I read the page itself, then went on (pointing to all the people).

"He was just making a little joke," he said -- but I don't know if he really knew what that meant; that was the exact phrase I'd used, after all. But he was REALLY TRYING to understand (one thing I like a lot about him) and maybe did. If he didn't, I can be sure he'll bring it up again.

The point of this post, though, is what reading with him showed me about GOOD NIGHT MOON. The last child I read it with delighted in finding the little mouse; Jake didn't even notice him (he's more of a word person, like me). He loved the sounds of the words, especially the rhymes....the only picture he commented on was one that showed the moon and the balloon. He liked the fact that they were both circles.

When I (or anyone) tries to talk about a book this simple, and this brilliant, I always sound like an idiot.....because the book's beauty is its simplicity; it says so much in so few words (and readers respond on so many levels and in so many ways). But I'm going to try and talk about this anyway, because I want to understand it more consciously myself.

In case you don't remember, the page on which the little rabbit says "good-night, nobody" is blank -- all the other pages show the objects being addressed or named or the room. That blankness and that joke not only add a little mystery (and it WAS a mystery to Jake) and humor (to an older child). It makes the permanence of the other objects and the order and repetition more noticeable -- and more reassuring (though Jakes's question made me wonder how clear it was to him that it was the same room in all the pictures).

There's an age, a specific point in development, at which babies grasp the permanence of objects -- it's early, before one, I think. Especially when you're as close to the concept being new as a two year old is, the idea that a comb and a brush and a bowl of mush remain what they are -- that they're still going to be the same thing, even if you go away or go to sleep or look away from them, IS a reassuring one. It's reassuring that the world is such a stable, orderly place.

I think it's almost impossible to read that book without feeling calm at the end - not just because of what I've mentioned here, but lots of other things there isn't room for....and the beauty of the book and its simplicity is that no matter how much I said, I'd still be missing things. There is so much there -- the soothing green, the way the room gets darker.....good-night, readers!

POETRY FRIDAY: Sunflakes by Frank Asch

This has been the rainiest June that I can remember. I’m longing for a bit of sunshine. Thus, here is my choice for Poetry Friday this week. It’s a children’s poem by Frank Asch.

Sunflakes
by Frank Asch

If sunlight fell like snowflakes,
gleaming yellow and so bright,
we could build a sunman,
we could have a sunball fight,
we could watch the sunflakes
drifting in the sky.


You can read the rest of the poem here.

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At Wild Rose Reader, I have a review of Incredible Inventions, another great poetry anthology compiled by Lee Bennett Hopkins.

The Poetry Friday Roundup is at Carol’s Corner today.