Author of award-winning, adventurous realistic and historical fiction

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nErDcampLI and November

Nov 20, 2016 | , , , , , , , ,

November started off with an amazing day of literacy and learning: #nErDcampLI! This was my first EdCamp experience, and it was awesome. I got to listen to amazing educators and experts speak about topics in literacy and kidlit–like this fantastic session on the importance of back matter that Susannah Richards led.

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One of the things she encouraged authors to do is include more back matter on their websites–especially book-creation timelines. I’m hoping to add something for that to the Resources page of my site soon!

The event was held in the wonderful Jericho Middle School, and I loved wandering the halls to see the work that students had posted. This was my favorite sign:

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A very wise student wrote that. 🙂

The following week was the election, and like many people, I’ve been processing the results since. It’s no secret to those who have read When Audrey Met Alice that I believe a woman’s place is in the White House. I took this picture on my way home to watch returns on Tuesday night.

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More than ever, that is true. Our votes matter, and so do our voices. I’m working harder than ever to use mine to express what I believe in.

Now it’s hard to believe that Thanksgiving is almost here–have a happy and safe holiday, and eat lots of pie!

 

A Week in Wisconsin

Oct 22, 2016 | , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Last week I traveled back to Wisconsin for a couple of book events, and it was perfect timing for fall color:

The view from Ski Hi, my favorite orchard. The pies are amazing!

The view from Ski Hi, my favorite orchard. The pies are amazing!

Hiking at Devil's Lake

Hiking at Devil’s Lake

Madison has great coffee :)

Madison has great coffee 🙂

The famous farmer's market is at its very best in fall.

The famous farmer’s market is at its very best in fall.

Green and gold

Green and gold

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The view from my Sunday morning coffeeshop

What’s missing? Photos from my talk at the Reedsburg Public Library and my school visit at EAGLE School. I was so excited to meet with readers and writers that I never quite got around to taking pictures . . . oops! But I had a great time talking about reading, researching, and writing.

Now I’m back in NY, working on short fiction and researching a project, and getting ready for nErDcampLI!

How does fall look where you are?

 

24 Hours at ALA Midwinter

Jan 14, 2016 | , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Last weekend, I hopped on Amtrak and headed up to Boston for the ALA Midwinter conference. (The ride is actually pretty scenic, as the train hugs the coastline through Connecticut and Rhode Island, so you can see the ocean, ferries and fishing boats, and charming towns like Mystic along the way.)  It was a quick trip–I got in on Friday afternoon and twenty-four hours later I was already chugging back to New York. But what a great twenty-fours hours they were!

On Friday I got to meet up with some fellow New Leaf Literary authors and our agents, Suzie Townsend and Pete Knapp. Here’s Team New Leaf:

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We spent our evening enjoying wine and chocolate at a shmancy party with some fantastic librarians. And I mean enjoying it–the spread involved a make-your-own chocolate crepe bar! But the best part, of course, was getting to talk about books with our librarian friends. I love hearing about what they’re reading, what library life is like, and which books their readers adore.

The next morning, I got breakfast with the Aladdin/Simon Pulse team before heading to the exhibit floor. I’d say being on the floor is like being a kid in the candy store, but as a child my excitement level would’ve been at the same height for a candy store or a bookstore. It was so fun running around seeing all the shiny new titles on display and running into other book people. I gathered enough ARCs that I have a huge bruise on my left shoulder from the tote bag–but it’ll heal, and it’s worth it. (Once I finish them, I have a school librarian in mind to share them with.)

To top it all off, I had just enough time before my train to run into Faneuil Hall and grab a slice of Boston Cream Pie for the road. When in Boston, right? 🙂

November Update

Nov 18, 2014 | , , , , , , , ,

It’s November . . . how? It feels like yesterday that I was heading off to Vegas for ALA, or kicking back with a good book in Central Park. (And I’ve been blogging sparsely enough that if you scroll down, it appears that it was recently that I was doing those things.)

But now the leaves have turned, and my hometown is covered in snow, and my kitchen adventures have shifted from ice cream and grilling to granola and pie-baking.

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Two weeks ago I was in Wisconsin for the WLA annual conference. Gayle Rosengren and I presented “Making It Real,” a program on using historical fiction in engaging ways to help prepare students for the Common Core. You can find some of our handouts on the WLA conference site here. Sadly, I forgot to take any pictures at the conference! But it was great.

I spent a whole week back, and that included a lot of reading time and family time. My nephew just turned one! We had a lot of fun at the zoo on a chilly day.

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Now I’m back, and ready for some school visits! I’ll be at St. Francis Academy in Union City, NJ, this week and at the Dwight School for their book fair in December. I can’t wait to meet the readers at both!

And, I’m excited to share that I got to blurb a book for the first time! MarcyKate Connolly’s Monstrous is a truly stunning MG (I still think about its fabulous first lines), and it was such a pleasure to get the chance to read it early. Here’s what I had to say:

“From its first line, Monstrous had me in its grip. MarcyKate Connolly has created a fresh and wildly inventive dark fairy tale about Kym, a protagonist as sweet as she is strong. Kym’s bravery shines, as she fights against the menacing forces in Bryre and also struggles to figure out where she, a self-described monster of a girl, belongs. This remarkable, absorbing debut will enchant readers.”

And you can read all of MarcyKate’s good news here.

What have you been up to this month?

Texas Tour!

Aug 20, 2014 | , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Last weekend, fellow debut author Tara Dairman (whose book ALL FOUR STARS is delightful and delicious, and one of my favorites of the year) and I traveled around Texas to visit a library, a B&N store, and an indie bookstore. It was incredibly fun, and here are some of the highlights.

We started out with the Fort Worth Library’s Author Roundup:

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The beautiful Sundance Square in downtown Fort Worth

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Gorgeous, light-filled library

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How cool is the “reading rainbow” that welcomes you to the children’s section of the Central Library?

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Alice’s “Red Devil” inspired my dress

Happy to see fellow Class of 2K14 author Christine Kohler at the library!

Tara, 2015 debut author Jenny Martin, and I are modeling Tara’s ALL FOUR STARS temporary tattoos.

Afterward, we headed to Roanoke–not the island, but the town in Texas with great BBQ and the best pie shop I’ve ever visited. (Seriously. And you know how I feel about pie.)

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The sign doesn’t lie–Roanoke, TX had really unique–and delicious–food!

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I am going to dream about the cherry pie I had here. Fantastic.

The next morning, we checked out the Fort Worth Stockyards and the Dallas Museum of Art.

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I loved this historic part of Fort Worth.

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Chihuly glass at the Dallas Museum of Art

Then we headed to Barnes & Noble for a panel with Polly Holyoke and K.A. Holt.

Excitedly posing with our sign!

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Me, Tara, Polly Holyoke, and K. A. Holt getting ready for our panel

The next day, we explored Austin.

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More barbeque! Is it possible to eat to much? No.

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Presidential limousine on display at the LBJ Presidential Library and Museum.

On our last night, we had a great MG panel at The Book Spot in Round Rock, with K. A. Holt, Nikki Loftin, and Jennifer Ziegler.

Tara, me, Nikki Loftin, K. A. Holt, and Jennifer Ziegler

That is a literal “cake with a unicorn”!

We quizzed the audience with trivia related to our books–and had lots of prizes.

A celebratory dinner afterward, with 2015 debut author Donna Bowman Bratton.

(If that’s not enough photos, there are even more on my Facebook page.)

It was a wonderful weekend. Thank you to the librarians and booksellers who invited us; the readers and fellow writers who came out to support us; our hilarious, insightful, and charming co-panelists; and especially to Tara’s husband, who drove us around the state and took lots of great photos to document our authorly adventure.

What’s Up Wednesday, 12/4

Dec 4, 2013 | , , , , , , , , , ,

WUW Winter Holly 1What’s Up Wednesday is a weekly meme that helps readers and writers touch base with blog friends. If you’d like to join in, you can find the link widget on Jaime’s and Erin’s blog posts. I love this idea because it gives a structured, easy way for me to keep up with blogging. Also, the buttons are cute (especially this winter scene). Thanks for the idea, Jaime and Erin! 

What I’m Reading 
All the ARCs. Right now, I have copies of Open Road Summer, All Four Stars, What the Moon Said, and Ask Again Later on my desk or en route to me. It’s a smorgasbord of 2014 debuts!

What I’m Writing   
So, November is over. The status of the project I was kinda sorta NaNoing? Done! I definitely limped to the finish line, but as of Friday, November 29 I have a completed first draft. I wound up writing about 42,000 words in November, which I’m really proud of. It was  fun to try to write without a filter and kick out a fast first draft. This WIP is one I wanted to write just for my own enjoyment and creativity–it’s not something I’m going to work actively toward publishing anytime soon. For that reason, I didn’t want to take too much time to write the first draft. I started writing it in early October, making this the fastest I’ve ever completed a draft–70,000 words in a little less than 2 months. And I’m usually a fairly slow writer!

That said, I’ve realized that for me to be happy with my writing and the overall process, I should allow myself a little more time in the future, or at least do a better job of outlining before diving in. (This was also my first largely pantsed project.) I’m glad I did my pseudo NaNo, though, and I’m looking forward to sometime revisiting this WIP in between other projects. I also believe that it’s never a bad thing to try a new way of working–even if it ends up not being your thing, it can teach you a lot about your process and preferences.

What I’m writing now (and for the rest of the month): Nada. It’s time for a break and IRL holiday stuff.

What Inspires Me Right Now

Holiday stuff: I held off until the day after Thanksgiving to get out decorations and fire up my playlists, but from now until the 26th, it’s Christmastime.

I’m also inspired by all the people who shopped at their local indie bookstores on Small Business Saturday. Particularly these shoppers! http://whitehouse.tumblr.com/post/68607360338/president-obama-sasha-and-malia-shop-for-books

What Else I’ve Been Up To 
Listening to my nephew coo and gurgle in the background when I call my sister. He’s pretty adorable; I’m a happy aunt.

And eating pie. Lots and lots of pie.

So what have you been up to lately?

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