Comic Con and Symphony Space

           




Happy Fall, all! We've had relatively gorgeous Fall weather in NY, aside from one wintry day, and some gloomy rain. This past weeekend looked like this:

Prospect Park in Brooklyn, NY

There are always book-related events going on in NYC, but lately there seem to have been more than usual. Last weekend was New York ComicCon. I hadn't been in about three years, and I was shocked at how big and crowded it's become--much closer to what San Diego Comic Con is like, I was told. I was speaking on a panel, so I got a pass that looked like this:

I joked on Twitter that this is what I looked like after thirty minutes at ComicCon.

I spoke on the Kids/YA Publishers Spotlight panel--basically, ten different publishers buzzed about recent and upcoming Middle Grade and Young Adult books. This was the room my panel was in--it was a packed house! And the best part was that it was filled with fans of books. In fact, the audience would clap enthusiastically when the slide showed a book or author they were excited about, and not just the "big" books. That was pretty cool.

Here was the Little, Brown Books for Young Readers booth:

I had wanted to walk around a bit after my panel, but it was so crowded and overwhelming I couldn't take it. One of the best things about Comic Con, though, is that the majority of the attendees went all out in terms of their costumes. I didn't take any pictures, but there are plenty online, including here, here, and here. So many little kids were dressed up, too.

***

Speaking of costumes, yesterday I went to the Symphony Space for a costume party/Book Release Special Event for The Diviners. It featured a conversation (aka hilarious banter) between authors Maureen Johnson and Libba Bray, a reading from the book by actress Ella Rae Peck (Gossip Girl), and a performance by Dandy Wellington and his Band. Everyone was decked out in their 20s garb (Maureen wore satin pajamas, a la the character Theta in the book), and a grand old time was had. Maureen and Libba talked about their mutual love of serial killers, how the house in The Diviners was inspired by the house built by H.H. Holmes (of The Devil in the White City fame), and how The Diviners was inspired by Libba wanting to write about post-9/11 America--she found many similarities and parallels with 1920s America. Oh, and we also determined that there is no such thing as a sherpa farm (Libba had meant to say "llama farm").

(pardon the odd lighting of the photo) Ella reading with Maureen and Libba listening on stage.

At one point during the Q&A, Maureen and Libba ended up as puddles on the floor. I don't actually recall why they did this...

Dandy Wellington and his Band.

the artists! Don't they look ab-so-tute-ly sharp?

book signing with a fan in costume.

Here's a little snippet of the musical performance:
Libba is doing another booksigning this Thursday at Books of Wonder--it's a Teen Fantasy event with six other YA authors from 6-8 pm. Come on out! I'll be there.

Wednesday night I'll be back at Symphony Space for an event with Lemony Snicket--his new book, Who Could That Be at This Hour? comes out tomorrow--it's a new four-book series, a prequel to The Series of Unfortunate Events. Lemony Snicket (aka Daniel Handler) will be sitting down with author Sarah Vowell of This American Life fame.

If you're in the NY area, I hope to see you at one or both of these events!

Speaking of Daniel Handler, check out this hilarious interview:
He is a funny, funny man.

I must say, going to all of these events reminded me that I really like going to readings and other book events. I really should try to go to more that aren't books I've worked on. Have any of you gone to any literary events of note recently? Any upcoming ones you'd recommend?

Back to Blog

After a busy summer, us Blue Rose Girls are committed to posting regularly again. While students and teachers are going Back to School, think of it us as going "Back to Blog"! Thanks to everyone for your patience--if you have any suggestions for future posts or questions about publishing, writing, illustration, or children's books that you'd like to hear our take on, please leave them in the comments.

So, what's been going on with me besides this? Work-wise, that is...

Way back in June (gosh, has it really been that long since I've posted?) I attended the ALA Annual Convention in Anaheim.

I had a book I edited become a #1 New York Times bestseller with The Land of Stories by Chris Colfer--the first #1 for me! Not a bad wedding gift--I found out while on my honeymoon, on a wine-tasting trip. Cheers!

My 13-year anniversary of working at Little, Brown was on August 16. Lucky 13! It's been an amazing run--here's hoping the next 13 years are just as eventful.

Speaking of, I got a fancy new title at work: Executive Editorial Director.

We're gearing up for the publication of Libba Bray's new book The Diviners. Check out the amazingly creepy trailer:


Over at the CBC Diversity blog, we hosted another "It's Complicated" conversation, this one about book covers, and featuring posts by an Art Director, a Sales Director, a former Book Buyer, a bookseller, and an author. Check it out, and participate in the discussion!

I've been busy working on Chris Colfer's new novel Struck By Lightning, pubbing this November. Check out the cover here. I've also been working on Holly Black's new novel, The Coldest Girl in Coldtown, due out next Fall, as well as other books on my Fall 2013 list: a new Ling & Ting by Grace Lin, a new picture book by Peter Brown, a picture book with Bryan Collier, and a picture book with Mordicai Gerstein. After having only having one picture book on my list published this year (Nighttime Ninja by Barbara DaCosta and Ed Young), it feels quite wonderful to be diving into multiple picture books again!

Speaking of Nighttime Ninja, it's already received two starred reviews. The Diviners and Grace Lin's Starry River of the Sky have already racked up three starred reviews each! I'm hoping the stars will keep coming...

I think that sums up my summer pretty well work-wise...more next week! Happy almost Fall, everyone.

What I'm working on now, and book trailers!

I'm in the throes of editing hell...actually, I'll rephrase that--I'm in editing HEAVEN! Just a whole lot of it at once, is all. But the books are SO GOOD, and this is the meaty part of my job that I love the most. Speaking of, I've been meaning to update my "How I Edit" post from almost exactly five years ago, as technology has changed my process somewhat. Perhaps that will be for next week.

What I was working on this past weekend specifically was finishing up an editorial letter for the first book in Libba Bray's new four-book series, The Diviners. It's a YA historical paranormal with hints of horror (okay, more than just hints) set in New York City in the 1920s. Flappers, Ziegfeld's Follies, speakeasies, political protests, secret government experiments, cults, ghosts, supernatural powers, and oh yes, a serial killer. It's magnificent, and coming out next Fall.

This past weekend I've also been working on Chris Colfer's middle grade novel The Land of Stories, coming out next August. It's a fantastical adventure to a fairytale land, and it's a page-turner, with unexpected twists and turns, a lot of heart, and best of all it's funny. I was reading it on the subway and found myself chuckling out loud at the dialogue. I'm excited for the world to see that this kid can write as well as he can sing. And boy, do I love his voice (I can listen to his version of Blackbird all day).

So, while I keep editing, I wanted to share with you two trailers that were released recently. The first is for Peter Brown's hilarious new picture book You Will Be My Friend!, starring Lucille Beatrice Bear, who some of you might remember from his last book, Children Make Terrible Pets. You Will Be My Friend launched earlier this month, and on Saturday I attended his book launch party at Powerhouse Studio in DUMBO. And as Lucy would say, OH! MY! GOSH! This is the cutest trailer EVER!



This second trailer is for Laini Taylor's Daughter of Smoke and Bone which officially pubs tomorrow! Happy early book birthday! There's been an incredible amount of excitement and buzz for this book, and the love, especially from bloggers, has been tremendous (and well-deserved, although I may be biased...).



Isn't that cool?

Okay, back to work!